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Sheepish Grin

2011-11-18T11:42:00.004-06:00

I think that I need to just come to grips with the fact that I am a complete 'hit or miss' kind of blogger. If you don't already know of my famous inconsistencies, let me start by telling you that I do not blog every day, or every week, or even every month. I will have an entry one day, then not again for another month, then 15 days in a row. I am trying very hard to change my ways, but I don't think that they have the kind of rehab that I require. I am not addicted to drugs or alcohol, I am not a hoarder (I hope not, anyway), and I don't have anything that I need to ''tell you more about''...but I do know that the first step in making yourself better and correcting your problems is admitting that you have a problem in the first place, however, I am not sure which ''step'' this is. I also know that one of those steps consists of tear-filled apologies to all of the people that you have affected (and sometimes infected) along the way.

So I ~~stand~~ sit here before you with outstretched arms (palms turned up, not begging for money), asking you all to please forgive me. I am a baaaaaaaad girl.

...and although I have some fancy, creative excuses that I have dreamed up, I am sure that the excuses are something that I am supposed to forgo in these types of settings. Still, I think that you will like the one I have that involves digging myself out of my own stash with nothing but a seam ripper...(that was really a good one, too.) Oh well, time for another giveaway. Tomorrow. What? I really mean it this time. Honest.

I May Not Finish Quilts; But I Make Damn Good Blocks!

2011-09-30T10:06:00.005-05:00

I am so amazed at how fast some quilters 'get 'er done'. Some of these fabulous fabric lines come out, and before I can even pull out my husbands credit card...someone else has already quilted something astounding with them. I am not talking about company and designer samples here; I am talking about, honest to goodness, Sally, two houses down the street, kind of quilter. By the way, ''Sally'' has 4 kids all 1.75 years apart in age. She is president of 3 non-profit organizations. has won 5 blue ribbons for her peach pie. Now I can't be sure, but I am willing to bet she hopped up the judges with a recipe as good as this one here: Honey Bourbon Caramel Peach Pie. (yes, click on the link...you know you want to.) Sally doesn't know how to 'not know' anything. How do these kind of people do this? Don't they have Facebook for crying out loud. Do their eyes not close at night? You know what? For all I know, she is at level 1,543 in Mafia Wars and icing people left and right while she stitches the binding on her 52nd quilt this month. (and of course these quilts are ALL being donated to a non-profit organization who's main interest is saving the unicorns...yay! tax write-off!) OK, Her children even have their hair combed daily sans jelly and peanut butter. I have a little girl that likes to put her feet on the table while she eats in restaurants.
And I got another block done!

Somewhere in This Post, is a Winner

2011-09-01T12:26:00.007-05:00

The bad news is that I am sick. I am sick with a cold that Connor brought home from school, along with a few red marks from his teacher. I guess that I should be like a ''normal'' mom and be disappointed in him for being verbal in school and for his lack in self-control during class (and that is definitely the message that I perfectly portrayed to Connor); however, I am really just ecstatic that he is not the mousy, shy boy that I thought him to be. I am sure that this bad boy image that he has acquired from his first week of kindergarten isn't a downward spiral into tattoos, body piercings, and bad taste in music. It is kind of funny to see other moms think otherwise though. ''Oh, NO! Johnny got a red mark! Now he is NEVER going to get into Yale!'' lol. Yep. You're probably right. But I think it has less to do with Johnny talking during class, and more with the bottle of glue that he chugged during recess. Really, Connor goes to school with a lot of normal, happy, good, smart kids...with a few overly privileged ones thrown in, just to make it interesting.

The good news is that I had the foresight to package up the winner's fat quarters last week into an envelope, all ready to mail. So no yucky germs being mailed to anyone! I am calling this foresight, but we all know that this was pure luck. Being a mother, you can plan a schedule better than the Presidents secretary, but that all means nothing with a baby, 5-year-old, and husband always changing things on you. You might as well wake up every morning planning for train wrecks, alien invasions, and house fires. Then if those things don't happen (yeah, right), you have got yourself a special day!

I am hoping that this is the way that the gal who writes the blog My Life in Quilts starts out her days, because these 6 free fat quarters thrown in will probably make the invading aliens seem like a minor detour. Congratulations!...And a heartfelt 'Thank You' to you all who entered the drawing. I enjoy doing these things, so I think a new one will be in the plans for October 1st as well. I will keep you posted.

Back in Session

2011-08-26T08:03:00.009-05:00

well, my give-away is drawing near, but there are still a few days to enter to win the fat quarters. The good news to those that already have is that your odds look pretty good! See my previous post for details.

Connor started kindergarten this week. He is loving it and doing great, with just a few minor hiccups here and there. His mother, on the other hand, is trying to adjust to waking up at 6:30 in the morning, with temper tantrums and pouting. I have been going to bed at midnight or earlier (can you believe it?). It is not so bad, because now the kids go to bed at 8pm instead of 9pm. I just really wish that I could adjust as well as they have. The secret is coffee, and lots of it. Then after the kids are taken care of, I will usually have a cup myself.

My sister called yesterday to see if I would be interested in making some wall hangings or banners for her church in Oriska, N.D., that recently burned. They are now in the process of rebuilding. I am not Lutheran (those heathens...) :), but I am Methodist, and ''Method''ists make the best quilters, so how could I not. Plus, Oriska's church has been long overdue for a Larry-the-cable-guy lent banner, or an Elvis Easter one. What? At least people will notice them for once. Too bad they're not Catholic; I would make a Madonna Madonna.

I finished another basket for a gal in Australia that didn't get one from her swap buddy. She doesn't have a blog. She doesn't have Flikr. The only thing that I know about her is that she likes blue, and her address. Most people would be frightened by such mystery and vagueness; not me. To me it is a ticket to bend rules, and to do what I want to do. The most difficult swap partner that you can have likes ''Lego's, penguins, and yellow, but not gold yellow...and can't stand Amy Butler.'' Huh? What do you make for those kind of people? That's right! A gold/yellow Amy Butler bag! Anyway, back to this gal in Australia. If you are out there, sweetie; if you ever bump into my blog in the land of Internet and see this, I want you to know how much I loved making your bag for you. Your bag is on it's way. This is what it looks like:
I have a challenge quilt to make that is (thankfully) only 24 inches square, and it does not have to be done until February. I am going to applique some on it though, so I should get started now. Finally, I have also been working on a t-shirt quilt for a friend that I have been dragging my feet on only because I cannot stand making t-shirt quilts. I make them. I just grumble and piss and moan about it the whole time. I think it is because for every person you meet, they have a sentimental stock-pile of T-shirts in a box. A box filled enough to make 3 king size quilts. If you make the mistake of making one, you are automatically elected to make one for each of their friends and family. It is like a bad virus. The next thing you know you have 5 quilts in your closet (Jennifer's high school band, TJ's baseball, Margaret's Triathlon t's, Ed's Softball and beer drinking, and Egbert's Harry Potter). And your double wedding ring quilt that you have always wanted to do can just wait until Egbert is taken care of. Your grand children will wonder why the hell they don't have a single one of grandmas quilts, and why she made one for that weird neighbor who still loves Harry Potter.

lol. I need a coffee.

Free Fabric for Someone...

2011-08-19T09:15:00.004-05:00

I have been buying fabric lately that really needs to be in my stash. I have always loved anything ''funky'', or ''ugly'', or just plain ''Seriously?''. I have liked them for a long while. In fact, I think that it is funny that the fabrics that I am attracted to are called ''Modern'' because they are really either a reproduction of 1940's prints, 50's prints, or most recently, inspired by 60's and 70's prints. It is like I waited 30 years for my favorite prints to become cotton instead of double knit. And now that this kind of fabric is more readily available, I can even score some at lower prices. Last week, I bought some fabric that was discounted. The catch was that you had to buy a yard minimum. I only wanted a half yard cut of these prints, but when I found them available at 1/2 yard, they were more expensive than the full yard. So, I bought the full yards, cut a set of fat quarters for a friend, and decided that I will give a set of fat quarters away to one of you fine people in blogland. I know it is not much, but it is free; and if this goes well, I will do FUNNER things again and more often. You will get the 5 fat quarters shown above with an extra bonus fat quarter. I will choose a winner from the comments of this post on September 1st. The only things that I ask of you is that you leave a comment, and tell your friends on your blog about it. (and Thank You!)

Lord, Bless This Poor Child.

2011-08-05T13:00:00.010-05:00

Well, I am happy to report that McKenna's baptismal gown is finished. I made a similar one for her older sister, so I couldn't very well not make one for her. I started it when she was a little baby, knowing that it would take me a while to get it done. These sort of things take me a while because I worry so much about getting it right that I drag my feet getting some of the steps completed. The pattern that I used did not call for any needle-turn applique. All of the ''stuff'' that you see on the front was either completely designed by me or inspired and adapted from another source.

here is a better picture of the front:
The flowers that I drafted are Myrtles, which are symbolic for ''one converted to Christ'', the Columbines symbolize ''the Holy Spirit'', and the white rose stands for purity, (if you are Catholic, it is also one of the many flowers associated with the Virgin Mary...we are Methodist so it probably means ''brings extra food to the church potluck''). I wanted to do some broderie perse applique on the gown, so that someday, when McKenna is older, she can hopefully appreciate all of the different things that I learned along the quilting road.

This is a better picture of the collar, again with applique lace medallions:
I made a bonnet to go along with the dress:
I was wondering if it was going to even make it to her head without being grabbed and thrown on the floor right away, but surprisingly enough, she loves to wear the darn thing...everywhere, no matter what condition her hair is in, or how dirty her clothes are. She watches cartoons with it, wants to take a bath with it, and don't touch her precious 'hat' or you will surely get a display of tantrums. weird kid. Bless her heart all the way to the alter.

Who Wants a Pretty Scarf?

2011-08-05T09:32:00.004-05:00

Dorien at Just Do is having a give-away on her blog of this spectacular scarf. She is amazing at everything! Making bags, pillows, wallets, even bike skirts. Yes. Bike skirts. You really must go to her blog to see just what I am talking about...I stalk her Flikr pictures on a regular basis. I hope you will too.

Take That, You Dirty Vintage Fabric.

2011-08-02T14:05:00.008-05:00

Today I am hand-washing some of my vintage fabric. I have 2 loads to do.

When it comes to vintage fabric, I prefer to buy it unwashed. (but hey, I am NEVER going to turn down vintage fabric in any form!) If the scraps are too small for washing, I just use them as is, being especially careful with the reds, blues, blacks and any other ''risky'' fabric.

Many times, vintage fabric is found in attics, basements, garages, storage units, and other dusty, yucky areas. Since I am allergic to dust, I have to clean them the best that I can, without causing any harm to them in the process. Please, fellow quilters, follow a few tips from a gal that has done this for years, again, and again.

Don't wash vintage fabric in your kitchen sink (I don't) unless that is your only alternative. If you do wash in your kitchen sink (please don't) be sure to disinfect it very well afterwards. Unless you know exactly where these beautiful fabrics came from, you don't know what kind of things have happened to them in storage (think cute tiny animals with long tails). So, yeah, being a former farm gal, I definitely wash my vintage fabrics. I like to wash mine in a cheap plastic Rubbermaid bin in the bath tub.

If your fabrics are delicate, and you are concerned about washing them, you may want to reconsider even using them in a quilt, which does require a certain amount of strength to hold up, even if you are using them as applique pieces. Remember, many vintage fabrics are just a few decades away from being antique. Weed out the ones that might not make it in the ''survival of the fittest'' selection process.

Fill your wash tub with warm water (I like to use hot when I can). Separate your fabrics into like color piles (no reds in with the whites) to reduce the risk of bleeding fabrics. Add detergent. I recommend Vintage Textile Soak, or even Oxy powder. An acquaintance of mine, Kathleen McCrady, uses Oxy. Kathleen has over 75 years of experience quilting, has had numerous quilts on the cover of Quilters Newsletter, enough show ribbons to make another quilt out of them, and is a former quilt appraiser, and quilt historian. I figure if a lady of that caliber used Oxy, it is good enough for little ol' seam ripper like myself. I have also used Arm and Hammer Free liquid detergent, which has no dyes or perfumes, on extra dirty fabrics with stunning success. (after doing extensive research on liquid detergents) Now, just let the detergent mix with the water well, before adding the fabric.

Carefully add your fabric to the wash tub and mix it up with your hands. Don't agitate the fabrics too much, just a few minutes of plunges should do it. Let that soak for about 15 minutes. Plunge away for a few minutes, soak for 15 minutes. Dump the water out of your wash tub, being careful not to lose any scraps of fabric (this is why I love having the Rubbermaid bin in the bath tub.) squeeze as much of that (DIRTY!) water out of the fabric as you can. Do not wring.

fill the wash tub with fresh, clean, cool water. Add the fabric. Plunge it for a few minutes to rinse out that detergent and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Plunge again, and drain the water. You may have to rinse twice to get all of the detergent out.

Squeeze (don't wring) the water out of your fabric. Let the pieces dry flat if you can. I have used my dryer on low heat setting on rare occasions.

I just cannot believe how dirty that water gets sometimes. Believe me when I say that the dirt, dust, and ''whatever else'' is in there, is doing more harm to that fabric over time than cleaning it will. Plus, it's YOUR fabric. No one knows better than you, what should be done with your fabric. I sure do love mine...clean.

Block Swap

2011-07-08T08:28:00.014-05:00

This is what I worked on last night. I belong to a bee that swaps blocks once a quarter. This particular swap is easy because we are swapping a very simple block. The good ol' nine-patch. We are doing 1800's and Civil War reproduction fabrics. This one will be a great quilt because it is such a simple pattern, and might actually get done fairly quickly. When I say fairly quickly, I mean that it just might have binding on it within two years!

Isn't it funny how you can have 13 projects going on at the same time, forever; then comes a month when you get 7 of them to finishing stage, and your friends are thinking that you get all of these done in a week...lol. Not really. My friends throw a party every time I finish a quilt since it is such a rare occasion. Sometimes they even invite me.

This is what it will look like when it is done. This is a picture from the magazine that the pattern is in. The only thing that we are doing differently is we are making the block larger. Ours will be 8 inches, the one in the pattern is 6 inches. It will end up being the same size as the one shown with one less row across and down. I still cannot decide if I want to increase the size of the flying geese or not. We shall see.

This is the magazine that it was taken from. American Patchwork and Quilting, April, 2011.

The background that you see in the pattern is scrappy as well, but pretty uniform looking since it is mainly reproduction shirtings that are being used. These are the ones that I picked. We will be swapping some of these as well so there will be others added to this supply. Plus enough left over to do the geese in the border.

I really want to use this fabric as the sashing, but I may have to switch to a tone on tone or a more solid looking fabric. The only way that I will be able to get away with using this one is if I make the sashing wider. We shall see on that as well. Thank goodness math is my favorite thing about quilting...and the coffee...and (sometimes) a seam ripper.

What I Deserve

2011-07-07T12:44:00.009-05:00

Well, I am back. I truly enjoyed June with Alannah. I decided that I wasn't going to be tied down to my computer during that time so that I could spend all of that extra non-Facebook time with her. I found out that if you miss an entire month of Facebook, you can get some serious quilting done, you can churn butter, wash your laundry by hand, and build Rome. I hope to God that I don't have ''had the best time on Facebook with all 15 of her friends'' on my tombstone. I hope that it would at least have ''actually got that binding done'' somewhere on it.

I keep my computer in the kitchen/living room area, so that I can put out fires, pull the children out of the furniture, or wipe up emergency kool-aid spills (which, for some reason only gets spilled on a cloth or rug-type surface...) The kids are at that ''magical'' age where you can't even turn your back on them for a second. I have been getting ALL (and any) quilting done during the dark hours. I love being a Mom (I capitalize ''Mom'', because, well, It is a much tougher job than ''President'', and damn it, deserves to be capitalized). My days are chaotic, but I think God knows how much I enjoy my life of craziness. I grew up this way. I know not of normal. He is getting back at me for throwing my dad's tools in the Mouse River in Minot, N.D. as a small child...or maybe it was for eating ALL of mom's chocolate that she purchased to make Christmas candy one year. Could be running back and forth across 4 lanes of highway with my little brother and sister just to see if we could get them to honk at us...naaaahhhh!

It kind of scares the hell out of me, because I think that my kids have their best stuff in store for me in the near future. I caught Connor running around our neighborhood without a stitch of clothing on yesterday. THAT, is going to be my mildest experience with him, I am sure of it.

I do want to share some of the things that happen in my quieter hours. I have gotten a few things done at least.

I got this quilt top done for the quilt shop to be used as a store sample during the Quilt Across Texas Shop Hop that will be going on the entire month of September.

I have been getting some serious work done on McKenna's gown (maybe some pictures tomorrow?)

and I have a block swap due in August that I am almost done on...I really need to get pictures that progress as well...

I suppose tomorrow you will see some of my projects...as long as Facebook crashes.

Busy as a Sloth

2011-06-02T12:40:00.002-05:00

I have been getting some of the smaller projects done. Now, you may think that I am doing this to brag about all of the stuff that I am able to do with small children constantly underfoot; but the truth is that I have been wanting to clear out all of this small stuff to make room for my bigger projects. It is very stressful to look around a sewing area only to see 20 projects in various stages of completion; and these are not even counting my UFO stash. Sooooooo, get rid of the ones that you can get rid of quicker. Put them in a big pile in the back yard and throw a match on them and watch them burn, baby, burn...only kidding...sort of.

I had time somewhere between McKenna's 2am fit of hysterics and my 4am sleepy-time head bob to get this quilt top done (see picture above) It is only the size of a fat quarter; but it was one of those projects that I needed to purge from my sewing area. It is one of Lori Smith's Fat Quarter Quilting quilts from her Cherries, Chocolates, and Cream pattern packets, and it is also a shop sample. So nice to get it out of the way. I cannot work in a mess, it drives me crazy to do so. You have to remember that many times, small projects have just as much ''ingredients'' as large projects. So the more of those babies that you can get done, the cleaner your work area is and the happier a quilter you are. Plus, if you're not as stinkin' honest as I, you can show a picture of a small one and say it is a king size...almost no one will know.

I would like to get truckin' on those Texas blocks tonight and some flowers on McKenna's gown. This is, of course, if I get to the post office, grocery store, and coffee shop without getting lost.

My Daughter

2011-05-31T10:09:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, I get to pick my daughter up from the airport. She will be visiting me for the month of June. I am pretty excited to have her here for an entire month. Since she lives with her father in another state, I don't get to see her as often as I would like. I normally get to see her in the summertime, or at vacation time during the school year. So, not very often, and not for very long. So this is a real treat. Alannah is the oldest of my offspring. Her father is my ex-husband (we all have one of those, right?).

9 times out of 10, when I tell people that I am not the custodial parent of my daughter, I get weird looks. I get people asking me what I have done wrong as a mother to not have custody of her. I get people who ask me how I could just give her up, or those who say ''I love MY children too much to ever give them up.'' You see, you have to be a totally dysfunctional mother to not have custody of your children. You must have been in prison. You must have been a drug addict. You must have not loved your children enough. Maybe you abused them. The truth is much less dramatic. The truth is that my heart has ached every single day since the day that I had to watch her little waving hand from the back seat of a car bound for another state.

My ex-husband and I moved from our home state of North Dakota to Colorado; and when things fell apart with us, we separated there. He had planned on moving back home at that point; and I could not, for reasons that few people would understand. My family lives in North Dakota. His family lives in North Dakota. I felt that if Alannah was living with her father (who also loves her very, very much) There would be family there for her in addition to her father. Family that could take care of her in an emergency. You see, I would have been a completely selfish person if I fought for custody of her at that point, because I had no family living with me in Colorado. If something happened to me there, there would have been nobody to take care of her. The schools in Colorado are not nearly as well-grounded as the ones in North Dakota (which is kind of proven with the Columbine incident). The crime in Colorado is much higher. I could go on and on with my reasons for ''letting go''. What kind of parent would hoard their children from their exes in selfish disdain, without putting the child's best interest in place. I love her so much that I just couldn't do that to her.

I cried myself to sleep, I don't know how many times, missing her. She will never, never know how much of a loss I have had, or how much I think of her, or love her. I have told people that it is almost similar to giving ones child up for adoption. It is so painful. And yet, she is so much better for it. Here she is 15 years old now. In a few years, she will be off to college. She is a smart and beautiful young lady; and I am so very proud of how she has grown.

I am really looking forward to all of the times that we will have together in the future. I have missed so many of her 'firsts' but I refuse to let that crush me in our times ahead.

I found a beautiful quote that defines my sentiments: Enjoy the little things in life; for one day, you may look back and realize that they were the big things.

To me this means that if you simply take care of the times that you DO have, those will be the times that will mean the most. Those will be the ones that will really matter. I may not know what day it was that her molars broke through her gums, but I have many wonderful experiences to cherish. I keep them in my heart, along with her, since she never really left me after all.

Checking In

2011-05-30T15:18:00.012-05:00

Well, since I haven't gotten too many things done recently, I decided to inundate you with a plethora of projects that I have been working on...diligently. As you can tell, I also have not had any time to read, so whenever I am in the sanctuary of the powder room (powdering), I read a little from the dictionary. I can usually get one word in before I see fingers sliding under the door and frantic banging and carrying-on happening on the other side. The interruptions are usually very important things like ''McKenna is playing with my Trios! She is destroying my castle!'' Get used to it kid; she destroyed my castle months ago.

So, I will start with the telling of the first project: I was very excited to do a recent gift swap where the participants got to make a little basket-type bag, then send it off to another participant. I was very lucky to get a wonderful, crafty gal in the Netherlands named Dorien, who has a wonderful blog called Just Do. Go check her out, and tell her ''that crazy Monica sent me''. Anyway, I started working on the bag that I was going to send out way before I even received my swap partner information. (btw, I am sure that quilting is one of the only places you will find ''swap partners'' being talked about without any dirty-minded intent). She loves bright colors, so I was even more motivated to continue on.

This is the front of the bag. I used ''stack and whack'' blocks that were in a scrap bag from one of my ''scrap angels''. I used jumbo ric-rac for the stems, and I adapted a vase pattern to my liking and added reverse applique elements to the front. The bright colored fabric on the bottom and handles is an old Robert Kaufman fabric that I have been hoarding for 'that special project'.

I added a pocket of bright fabric to the back, as well as the inside.

This was so much fun to do. I loved the bag so much, that I think that I may have to make a reasonable facsimile for myself sometime very soon.

I also have been working on McKenna's baptismal gown. I am really hoping to get this baby done sometime before she starts driving. This is what its looking like so far (not pressed, don't judge).

I know that it is very hard to see right now, because it is cream on cream applique, but it will come to life here in the next few days. I am currently adding flowers that have spiritual meaning such as the columbines that are shown above. Tonight I will be drafting some myrtles to add.

Next, I am doing a shop sample for the Quilt Across Texas shop hop in September. I want to get this top done in the next couple of days, so I will have to get busy. I am using a pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. called 'George' for inspiration, but I am adapting the size of everything. Here is what it looks like so far:
The next thing I have going on is a quilt to use up some Moda Turnovers that I have. It is a pattern called ''Asterisk'' from Quiltmaker Magazine issue 133 (May/June 2010). I am not in a hurry to get this one done, it is just one that I am using as a ''leader, ender'' project. This is what 4 blocks look like:
Finally, I have a finished project to show! (even if it is the size of a notebook page). This was a leader-ender project that I just finished to be a mug rug, or wall hanging or whatever the person it is for decides to do with it. I am thinking that I might put it on Etsy so that I can figure out how that darn website works. It will be an experience. But then, I shouldn't be scared a bit. I do have children after all.

I Am Quilting...I Swear!

2011-03-17T21:47:00.003-05:00

I need to get to ''done'' on a project. A few of these projects are nowhere close to being completed. Not anytime in the next few years. Others are projects that are impressive and will get done soon, but I am not allowed to show you pictures of them; such as the block that I am making for the Austin Area Quilt Guild's raffle quilt. There is supposed to be an unveiling of it a long time from today, so sometime the future you will all be wondering how I get all of these fabulous things done.

Here is my secret:

1) stockpile finished projects and only use your camera once a year to take pictures of them.
2) sign up for tons of small projects. ''Hey, look at this kick-ass seam ripper case that I made!''
3) give your stuff to other people to finish, then take credit for getting it done . (well, I did put the binding on...)
4) start giving yourself credit for pulling fabric off of the shelf for a project. Sometimes, it takes me an 8 hour day to pull a stack of fabric for a project. 7 hours of it is spent cleaning, cooking, washing kids, and putting out small fires. 1 hour spent hiding behind my sewing desk with chocolate and a quilting book.
5) Pull out projects that you finished years ago, then ''re-post'' them. No one remembers (or cares?) about the quilt you finished in 1992. Go ahead, technically, it's almost vintage.
6) and now, I am going to start posting blocks that I finished, even if they are a nine patch. Like I said a few posts back, a nine patch is quite an accomplishment to me these days.

It is now 12:30 in the morning. I have a fresh pot of coffee. I am going into my sewing room.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T09:49:00.002-05:00

Let Me Tell You (x3)

2011-03-10T18:58:00.003-06:00

I think that it is time for a new post; would you not agree? I have a few tidbits of information to share today. First, I have become totally spoiled by my ''secret'' mug rug swap giver. Christine provided me with a stack of fat quarters (a big huge stack! \0/), a beautiful card and note, and two very wonderful mug rugs. She hand quilted one of them (love it!). I love so much about these. The colors on the one under my mug is colorful and matches my sewing room perfectly; so that one will have a new home next to my machine. The other one, with the tiny, tiny paper pieced tea cup shall sit next to my green laptop on my desk; again, matching perfectly. I think that she came to Texas and snooped in my windows to make sure that she coordinated them exactly. (just kidding Christine, we all know you are way more normal than I am.)

The next bit of news is that I got another shop sample done, but the picture didn't turn out very well, and I am way too lazy at this point to drive to the quilt store to take a better picture of it. Never look back, I say...unless there is a cute butt involved. The pattern is called Snapshot, and the Fabric is from Moda's Sandy Gervais called Lovely. I used a panel, cutting the circles in half, then using those as the focus print in the pattern. Here it is:

Last, I have my new replacement 2011 Chevy Equinox. I sure did miss my car. I did not realize how much I loved that car until she was totaled. My friends are telling me that I need to give her a name so that she will stick around longer. So she is now called ''Natasha''. A beautiful but mean babushka with a protective and durable outer shell. She needs a good ol' North Dakota car quilt in the back though, as a Christianing. I wouldn't dare bust a bottle of champagne on her butt when it could go well in my cup, on my mug rug.

I love IKEA!

2011-03-03T14:13:00.004-06:00

This is how the corner of my sewing room looked before I replaced the bookshelf.

And this is how it looks now:

I am a firm believer in utilizing wall space for storage, and visual impact, especially when you are trying to store things in a sewing room. I have so many more books on my shelves now, with plenty of space above those to stow other sewing supplies away. The key is to get narrower shelves so that the weight of the books will not bow the individual shelves over time. It also helps to keep your books together in groups such as: applique, scrap quilting, how-to, quilting designs, etc, etc. remember to keep the books low and lighter things up high. As you can see, you don't have to be afraid to build those shelves almost up to the ceiling. I promise it won't look terrible.

So that is my before/after for the day...now I just have to go ''fix'' the other 3 corners of the room...see y'all tomorrow!

One Stinkin' Block

2011-02-23T21:58:00.004-06:00

Well, I got a block done. So normally, I wouldn't make a blog post after doing one stinking block...(who am I kidding...if I get a 9 patch done these days it's a flippin' miracle!) but this one got done without having to rip seams once. No, no one helped me! This block is something to blog about, because I am NEVER doing it again. It wasn't that it was that difficult, it is just that, if you have small children...

Today, I tried to give the one-year old a nap. Any time that she is sleeping, my time is spent cleaning and maybe I can get 15 minutes or so of stitching in, if I am lucky. Unfortunately, she has a 4-year-old brother who cannot keep quiet during that time so I struggle with sanity on a regular basis. Not 30 minutes into her nap I hear her crying, so I go to investigate and find the bigger kid, in the crib, dumping milk on the shorter kid's head, and all over the bedding; bedding that I just took fresh out of the dryer. (...and have you ever changed sheets on a mattress inside it's own miniature prison?) No nap today.

Throw shorter kid in the tub. Try to prevent her from drinking her own God-awful bathwater, while explaining to the bigger kid that he cannot go in the backyard to pee since I am blocking the toilet. After this is done, I go to change clothes since they are now covered in God-awful bath water and sweat. While changing clothes, two small children find a brand new Kleenex box and pull each and every one out, shred, then disperse throughout the entire house. Some of those pieces of Kleenex were dry, so I was lucky.

The television was not working because the shorter kid pushed a button that sent the whole entertainment system to the black hole of death, so no Sesame Street or The Cat in the Hat to distract them while I pulled wet Kleenex off of the walls.

Out of chaotic exhaustion, I decide to throw the kids in the truck so that I can run a quick errand. This errand was supposed to be simple. Run to pick up a gift that I already had picked out, then return home. On the way, I go through the drive through and buy the bigger kid a kid meal with a chocolate milk that he is not to open until we get home. The next stop was to a car wash to spray off the interior door, panels, and floor to clean up the ''unopened'' bottle of chocolate milk. I cannot wait until August to find out what that is going to smell like.

So I may have only completed one block, but the block is 6 1/2 inches square....and it has 229 pieces.

Chef Connor in the Kitchen

2011-02-16T14:55:00.003-06:00

Chef Connor's Personal Pizzas

1 tube large refrigerated flaky biscuits
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups pepperoni (and or olives, mushrooms, green pepper, etc.), quartered
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. line cookie pan with aluminum foil. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray; set aside. Roll each biscuit to a 5'' diameter circle; transfer to oil squares. Spoon pizza sauce over dough to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Sprinkle with desired toppings and cheeses. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Connor's instructions: First dough, then sauce, then meat, then cheese. Cook until it looks yummy.

If you have kids or grandkids, they love making these. Plus, it doesn't make a huge mess of your kitchen when you are done...really.

Just Half a Pot, Please.

2011-02-15T12:23:00.003-06:00

My coffee maker died a few days ago. I have been using a french press (which I am not complaining about...love my french press), but it is nice to just have a pot ready to go for a super industrious day. Since I have not had a drop of coffee yet today, I called my neighbor to beg for a pot of coffee in clamoring desperation. Actually, I said ''I have a desperate and unusual request of you.'' He says ''That is exactly how I like my women: desperate and unusual!''...such a comedian. So I run over there with my carafe and coffee like a heroin addict needing a fix. I am currently enjoying my first satisfying sip of flavorful, aromatic, french roast with a touch of amaretto. Thank you, thank you, thank you, God for supplying the earth with such wonderful neighbors.

My husband was having a hard time trying to figure out what to do for Valentine's day this year, and I said ''Are you kidding? We are getting a Bunn! that will be the best v-day gift ever!'' He is incredulous time and time again about his luck marrying a girl who could care less about jewelery, flowers, expensive shoes, etc. Instead, he got me, who is just fine with a bag of coffee, box of chocolate, bundle(s) of fabric...now, if cotton prices keep rising like they are, my taste may just have to rise with it.

My agenda for today is to put a border on one of Connor's scrap quilts. The backing needs to be prepared. Then I guess I will have to do some dishes...or something domestic.

Lady Bug Mug Rug

2011-02-14T10:31:00.005-06:00

This is the 2nd mug rug, also completed at 2am. The picture is not nearly as nice as the real thing. I did a 'quilt as you go' method, trying to do a somewhat wonky strip. Then I used broderie perse applique to put the ladies on. Finally, I did my 2-fabric binding; so be sure to look at the back too:
Here is a better picture showing the 2-fabric binding:

Well, there you go. Another swap completed successfully. Now I just need to make a run to Starbucks and the post office...

Mug Rug # 1 picture

2011-02-14T09:13:00.003-06:00

I finally got done with this mug rug at 2am. I was really pushing the limit there since they have to be mailed out today. The second mug rug is also done, and I will do a separate post for that one. This one took more time than the 2nd one, because I hand quilted it, hand pieced it, and hand appliqued it. I cannot help the insanity. I just figured that I would make something that I would love to have myself. The person who I made this for is somewhat of an enigma wrapped in a riddle. I have a name and address. She does not have a blog or a flikr account. Her preferences were ''anything''. Whoever you are...THANK YOU! I was able to make something out of pure creativity, while still staying within a guideline of ''what would the average quilter just love''. I couldn't really make a mug rug with a coffee theme, because I didn't know if she liked or hated coffee (are there really coffee haters out there?)...so what do you think of the first one? I hope she loves it!

Mug Rug #1

2011-01-27T12:42:00.003-06:00

I know that the is a pretty big hint of how the mug rug is going to look; but the person that I am making it for has no clue that it is for her. I started planning it last night, then immediately began going through my gold and yellow scraps (thank God for scraps!). Then I got to sewing. I am so anal-retentive that I can only do these English paper-piece method. I will never do them another way. I also started planning the second one since we are supposed to make two of them to exchange. I might start cutting fabric for that one tonight.

Speaking of tonight; it's our neighborhood ladies night, and boy is it going to be good. I am bringing my camera so watch for pictures of a bang-up time!

Oh, and my car is totaled.

New Year's Resolutions (a month late)

2011-01-26T15:39:00.002-06:00

Missing Posts Means:

2011-01-17T20:59:00.009-06:00

I really, really love my fabric transportation device. I have had it for about 2 months so far, and cannot express my happiness enough. I can even fit kids in there....and a Starbucks.

BUT:

I am sad now because I have a very sore neck and this:

I can't say for sure, but I am pretty confident that the 20 something year old gal that plowed into my front driver's side wheel was texting as she flew through her light. I have many pet peeves in the driving world but the two that top my list are people who follow too close and people that text (or talk on their cell) while driving. I swear if my neck didn't hurt so bad when she casually walked up to my window to ask me '' are you alright?'', I would have taken the phone out of her hand (yes, she still had it) and bounced it as hard as I could off of her forehead.

I went to the hospital on a back board as a precaution. All of the x-rays and scans done say that I ''only'' have a torn neck muscle, and worst case, some disc movement. (O.K., I am not complaining too much here, I know it could have been a whole lot worse.) Both of the kids were with me and didn't even suffer a bruise. (Thank the Lord!) The firemen that took them out were very happy with my seat belt skills on the kiddos, and quite honestly, so was I.

At least I was provided with a decent rental. One that can hold a crap-load of fabric...and two kids. The unlimited mileage says ''Paducah!, I have yet to visit you. Let me call ahead with my credit card numbers.''

I am now going to look forward to posting about happy things like mug rug exchanges, projects to get done, and rainbows.

McKenna is 1! (almost)

2011-01-16T21:36:00.003-06:00

Here is a picture of McKenna before she was born.

I am so sorry, I had to stop typing because I just made myself laugh tears there. Obviously, I am kidding; although this is exactly how I pictured the situation when she was due.

Man, I cannot believe that she is going to be ONE on Wednesday. I must have gone into a coma of momdom in that time because it feels like it was just last week when she busted out. A mommy coma; by the way is where you are alive, breathing, walking, doing the dishes and laundry, but you are in such a state of exhaustion that you remember nothing for long stretches of time. I am quite sure that God does this so that we block out the times when children come running to you with dog poop sculptures, zhu-zhu pet-stuck-in-the-hair, or permanent ''art'' on your Ethan Allen furniture. It is very much like a severe car accident, only we don't get to escape to the hospital.

For the first few months of her crawling stage; I was rushing around taking things away from her before she could stick it inside her mouth. Then, after doing (I don't know how many) finger swipes in her mouth, I realized that she had her own little ecosystem in there. I figured if the Halloween candy that she found hiding since 1977 was able to make it past the lint covered cheerios, a sky blue Crayola chunk, and chewed up receipt from Target that she was harboring in her cheeks for a week, well, that little buddy deserved to be in someone's tummy. You go, you little fuzzy M & M!

Now she is walking. Dear Lord. I am going to run around the house and put up all of the breakable ''nice'' things and redecorate in the Weeble Wobble theme with touches of Lego. I will fill my (now empty) wine rack with stuffed animals. I will tear out the first page of each of my cookbooks just to beat her to it. I will write ''don't write here'' on all of my walls. I will pull all of the toilet paper off of each roll then re-roll them to much better crumpled up roundish kind of rolls that are too big to fit on the bar. I will dust my carpets with plant dirt. I will cut chunks out of the curtains, but only the ones that are not hidden behind large pieces of furniture. I will do all of this because I know it is coming anyway, and I want her to think that she learned all of this from somebody. Maybe then she can finger swipe my mouth, because I think that I found a perfectly good rum ball in the closet from Christmas.

Why do you have quilt ALL the time?

2011-01-16T08:17:00.003-06:00

Has anyone here ever been given the guilt-trip for doing your quilting while watching TV? In one of my former lives, when I was young enough to get up from the couch fast enough to answer the phone, I was in a relationship with someone who would get pissed-off if I happened to be hand quilting during a movie. And now, I am old enough, maybe a little crazy over the situation(s), and have a blank page of blogland begging for the attention, to finally defend myself.

WTF. Please explain to me, because maybe I just don't understand, why it is so terrible that I am actually enjoying myself while watching TV? Why are the people who get irritated by this doing absolutely nothing except melting their brain in front of the tube? Is this right? Seriously, think about this. What is wrong with this picture?

Boy, you had better hope that I have something constructive in my itchy hands to keep them busy, because I swear, the next time that someone EVER tries to make me feel guilty about my hobby, I am going to throw them into my trunk with a shovel, plastic bag, and duct tape. Granted, I will probably be butt-tired at that point; and instead of doing something 'drastic', I will just leave them in there for a little while. Give them a few minutes in there to think the situation over. I guarantee that if you do this one step, your honey will let you move the long arm into the living room plus hand over the remote. Let us not forget, ladies, about the whole ''Hell, fury, and woman scorned'' bit. NOTHING makes a man see the light more than a crazy person with sharp tools.

These days, I am very blessed to be married to a man who understands the fragility of my mind; and he is blessed to be married to a woman who loves to watch him play Black Ops on his X Box 360. Tea anyone?

New BOM; and it's FREE to boot!

2011-01-15T14:56:00.004-06:00

Molly is one of the Wacky Pack gals that are famous all over the state of Texas (and various other states in the collection of 50). Famous for being the craziest women on the loose with rotary cutters. I am proud and honored to call them friends. You are not allowed to hang out with these girls unless you carry enough money for a weeks worth of fabric and/or bail money.
I still pee like a puppy, so I just bask in their aura.

Anyway! Molly has designed yet another Block of the month called Boot Bash that you are welcome and encouraged to join featuring cowboy boots with each months individual theme. This woman is amazing because she does all of this and cooks too. She is like the Pioneer Woman with a branding iron.

I am really diggin' the January block already, and thinking that I have some great scraps to put together for this one. Maybe I will put together a kit! Go check out her blog, and tell her I sent you. (not that I get any fancy gifts for it, but she would like to know that I am still breathing!)

talk to ya'll soon!

Quilting with Beer Goggles

2011-01-14T00:00:00.004-06:00

I have been putting off making this sample simply because I like to ''let it all out'' when I work on applique on a grand scale. I need room to breathe. I need to use a large design wall. I need paper plates. I need to start and finish in one day. I need to give my children away to family members for the weekend. I need a seam ripper.

It is simply amazing what one can accomplish with a seam ripper and beer. I am completely serious. I love the sound of an ice cold can being cracked open and slipped into a quilters beer coozie. My first gulp is by far the most satisfying. Once that is taken care of, little else matters.

I have heard of the mandatory glass of wine to start out your sewing adventure; and I am with you there as well, sister; so go on and choose your poison. As long as you kick back and relax, you can have fun with your project. Quilting with beer goggles helps you choose fabrics that you wouldn't buy on a 75 percent off sale table in the best of quilt shops. You are likely to drop a few stitches without a care in the world. Friends will smother you with compliments on your quilting expertise as you hold your pattern upside down (which is kind of like a map anyway, you understand). You will lose and find, lose and find that needle with your hands, feet, and rear end and feel no pain. You are a goddess. You also have a collection of seam rippers that go beyond the norm, so that when you 'come to' in the morning to that quilt, you can rip it all out again, baby. Because now that you have done this whole thing intoxicated, It should be a walk in the park sober.

Sure your friends will snicker ''Oh, my gosh! Do you even remember what you did last night? You were out of control! You did a reverse applique Baltimore album block with double-knit polyester!'' (which is totally amazing since that was not one of the U.F.O.'s that you brought with you, that you probably actually have)

So, the sample got done. I didn't have to do it intoxicated, just buzzed. That way I could tell you the next day that it's name is Sugar Pop.

Retreat! Retreat!

2011-01-13T13:47:00.004-06:00

I am very happy to report (4 months later) that the tulip blocks that I was so stressed out over paid off. The quilt shop's entry in the shop hop received 1st place. I like this because it was chosen by the viewers. If it had been judged, well, we would have had to actually make it flawless. Thank goodness for normal, every-day, wonderful, beautiful, people of quilting.

Now the only thing that I have to stress about is getting my applique class together. I am teaching on the 29th on machine and hand applique. All in one class. My problem is narrowing down all of the information to make it beginner/basic so that I can fit it all into one day. I wish it were the other way around. I wish that I had to try to come up with stuff to fill the hours. Wouldn't it be nice to go home from a class with the newly acquired knowledge of how to use fusible web AND make the perfect Mexican Martini? Or you could learn Texas Hold 'em in a Stack and Whack class. This all kind of makes me wonder what really happens on those quilting cruises.....

Speaking of vacations of sewing bliss, I just completed a quilt retreat weekend at Emilie's Quilt Haus in Stonewall, TX. It. Was. Wonderful. Kay Huffman is the owner/operator along with her husband, Jack. They were fabulous hosts. They also let us see the inside of the one room log cabin that her grandmother was born in. If you don't feel Texan after going there, you might as well give up on the idea all together and leave the state.

Don't you just love the lighting? I had a great view of the Texas hill country. Laughing. Drinking. Sewing. My favorite part was that I didn't have to get up once in the middle of the night to make a bottle or change a diaper.

Mail Call! Mail Call!

2010-08-26T21:47:00.006-05:00

Today is a day that made my last few weeks of stress so much better. I no longer have to carry a bottle of Chardonnay to bed with me. So here the story: (excuse) I have been working on applique blocks of tulips for B and B's Fall Frolic Shop Hop...(I know, I know...tulips in the fall...). I don't think that I have ever been so stressed on a deadline in my life. Gray hairs were erupting everywhere. My coffee cup has never been so abused. My sewing machine told me that I need to start paying her per hour now...but with the help of a few angels, my work got done. Unfortunately, I cannot share the picture of the quilt that we worked on until September, but I think that it will be worth the wait (weight) and wrinkles.

The only time that I got to relax (?) was when I got to work on the Posy Needle Case Applique Swap. Then, when I finished, in my zen-like state, I forgot to take a picture of the one that I made. I am a moron. But I hope that the gal I made it for loves it as much as I did making it. I almost had to ''lose'' her information and keep it for myself...(jk, jk). Anyway, so Tina Craig at Seaside Stitches made a needle case for me that fits my personality to a T. (see picture above) Isn't it the cutest?! One of the coolest parts of it is in the inside:

Isn't that just awesome! I love the selvages. So cool, so cool. But O.K., here is another part that I just love so much my toes are curling just thinking about it. She also sent me some scraps! YES! They are lovely, modern, trendy, hip, and I already tucked them into bed tonight because they were tired from the long trip from Rhode Island. (hey it could be worse, I could be a crazy cat lady, but I am allergic to cats so fabric is the next best thing. Right?)

So yah, I have already decided that Tina rocks, even though I have only met her through the mail and a blog, but I would probably scare the hell out of her if I met her in real life. Like a dog meeting a squirrel for the first time. Thank you, Tina, and bless your heart.

EZPZ

2010-07-04T16:31:00.004-05:00

Hello all! Happy Fourth of July. Belated of course. Deadlines, holidays and birthdays seem to sneak by me when I am unconscious or not paying attention, so I am celebrating Independence Day today; although, my version of the holiday is about breaking away from my projects which seem to explode in numbers like a gremlin in a swimming pool. I am getting them done. They will torment me no longer. They will succumb to the power of the seam ripper. I can do this. I am the master of my quilts. I am the captain of my sewing room.

Well, the quilt top that you see above is a test for a copy-written pattern that I designed to be very, very simple. It uses three 1 yard cuts of fabric, ending up being crib sized. I know that it is not intricate, but I really designed it for the quilt shop to use for ideas on fabric. Here is the deal: I need a few people that wouldn't mind testing the pattern for me so that I can get some constructive criticism and feedback. I would supply the pattern and the 3 yards of fabric. I only need 3 or 4 people to try it. It is very simple and could feasibly be done in a day. (just the top is required, no layering, no batting, no backing, no quilting). Then, I would require that you send me a picture of the top, and feedback....whaddya think? You are allowed to drink beer while working on this one, folks.

not a F.O.

2010-06-30T01:09:00.003-05:00

Month 5 of the Civil War Tribute block of the month. I am very upset that the (silly) company only sent 9 inches of the dark brown print to complete 4 12 inch blocks...seriously not nearly enough. I am quite sure it was an error. So, I modified the pattern just a little to reduce the number of half square triangles, making flying geese units instead. This helped stretch the fabric, but I still have to run to B and B quilting tomorrow to get the extra fabric needed to get the other 2 blocks done. This Block of the month is turning out to be a very beautiful quilt. It does have a few areas where I would change the way I put a block together, but over-all it is stunning in appearance. Looking forward to month 6...

Purple Passion

2010-06-23T19:12:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been a few days since my last post. I desire to not let my blog go for more than a week without a post. Even if I have to make some crap up or post my UFO's (now there's some reading material)...I will prevail. Above you will find the F.O. of the month. I really don't know why this one decided to squat in my sewing room for so long. I guess it liked the atmosphere. I tried very hard to run it off, but you know how it is when you are nice to runaways.

The way that this purple batik beauty came to be is this: I found a pattern that I wanted to try called ''Sweet Dreams'' by Tiffany Burrow from McCall's Quilting magazine August 2001. The opportunity knocked when Melissa Picha of Mt. Calm, TX wanted a quilt top for one of her rooms at her retreat establishment called Compass Centre. I figured that I could make this quilt top to practice the pattern. It was perfect. I wasn't going to fall in love with it because purple is my least favorite color....WRONG. This is the only project that I have ever done for someone else that made me sick to my stomach to send away. I cannot say that I completed a U.F.O. exactly since I am now collecting aqua batiks to do it all over again, but in a teal, aqua, and turquoise color scheme. Great. Just great. That will take another 2 years. Not because it is a difficult pattern (super easy), but because I now have to put it behind all of my other projects.

You can see that it is on the cover, but the colors are so very different. I had to turn the pattern sideways and double it top to bottom to make it into a full/queen size. I also drafted the outer border to get it to measure 81''x 106''. I just hope that I can somehow inherit that quilt....I would have to do a lot of dishes at the Compass Centre to even get my foot in the door on that one.

All Powerful and Ever Loving Fabric

2010-06-23T13:44:00.001-05:00

Do any of you have a fabric that you love so much that it makes you stomach hurt because you only have a fat quarter of it? I realize that I can still get my hands on the above fabric. It is Moda's Rawhide, and is still available; but with my luck not for very long. I love it, need it, desire to have yards and yards of it. What for? Hell, I don't know. I guess I will add it to my pile of do-not-cut-or-you-die fabric. It is rare for a scrapquiltin' crazy like myself to fall in love with any fabric of yardage, so that tells me to buy the bolt. Buy the damn bolt or suffer skin boils, locusts, and floods. I decided to post it to see if there is anyone else out there that has a favorite such as mine. Who knows, I may have it in my hold-on-to-until-someone-begs-you-for-it fabric pile...share your thoughts and swatches.

Book o' the Week

2010-06-22T09:08:00.004-05:00

I love this quilt idea. It has very simple blocks; and simple usually isn't my style. I can see any little boy loving this quilt. There are not too many quilt ideas for boys these days that don't incorporate some kind of licensed printed fabric. Both of my parents worked at Burlington Northern Railroad before everything became computerized. Dad was a train dispatcher, mom was a keyboard operator. They lived in Minot, North Dakota at the time. I was happy to see a few tidbits about ''back home'' in the book as North Dakota was/is a big railroad state. I never heard any stories about hobos though, other than the one my sister, JoAnn and her husband, Carl told me about Oriska, North Dakota. The railroad tracks go through the small town right next to their house and Oriska's cemetery. Carl's family takes care of the cemetery; so they are the people that will dig the 6 footer should anyone need one. Unfortunately, since the cemetery is right next to the tracks, many, many hobos were buried there in unmarked graves, and occasionally, one is accidentally dug up when preparing a new grave. I cannot think of why so many of them were buried there other than it's damn shittin' cold up there and many of them probably froze to death in the cars. The hobos most likely all knew of a little place called Oriska that they could put their 'knights of the road' friends or family to rest. Even if you don't make the quilt, buy the book. Its neat. I'm glad I did.

Sunken Treasure

2010-06-20T21:46:00.005-05:00

First. I need to tell you that this is not a picture of me; however, it is the mental image that I have of myself whenever I am taking fabric out of wastebaskets from sewing rooms, retreats, and classes that people have thrown away. I am amazed at the beautiful gems that are tossed away. I know that it is only a square inch of 1800's reproduction...but it's pretty. And it's mine.

You will be very happy to know that among my many mental disabilities, hoarding is not one of them. I am not a complete weirdo when it comes to collecting the fabric scraps. My sewing room has an order to it and I am very proud of my organization when it comes to my valuable property. I use the scraps in many of my projects. My precious stash is where I go to first to find just the right color of blue, or pink, or green...it is my color palate. It is where I get my inspiration. It is how I test creations.

You know that knot that you get in your shoulder and neck that takes a massage therapist about an hour to remove? That knot goes away on its own when I get to visit my quilting room for a few hours. So you see how important your garbage is to me? Please don't throw it away. Let me pay you for the fabric. Let me pay you for postage. I would be happier than a June bug at a porch light sale.

If you describe your fabric pieces as: bits and pieces, castoffs, chunks, crumbs, discards, ends, fragments, hunks, iotas, junk, leftovers, modicum, odds and ends, parts, particles, pieces, portions, remains, shreds, slices, slivers, snippets, specks, traces, or remnants;

I call them: prized possessions, abundances, apple of my eye, cache, finds, fortunes, gems, pride and joy, prizes, riches, treasure trove, valuables, and gifts; but definitely not garbage.

I am not hurting for fabric, mind you. I just hate seeing those beauties in a garbage can. I am doing this for my country, for my planet, for my sanity. Plus, it does not make any sense at all for me to save the whales. Who has that much room? Especially if you want to collect the whole set.

Give Me Dollars, I Hate Change.

2010-06-18T11:45:00.003-05:00

Pretty soon I will have to update my blog appearance. A few years ago, when I started my blog, this polka dotted background was one of the templates to choose from. I don't even think it is available anymore. It is so hard for me to go through any kind of change in my surroundings. I don't know what kind of mental disorder that is associated with, (maybe that is the OCD in me) but I can't do 'new'. In my house everything has a place (not that everything is in it...) and I am comfortable with the familiarity of it. I would be one of those ladies with avocado shag carpeting in her living room for 50 years simply because it is still clean, in good shape, and looks damn sexy. God I hate change. I stress about towels that have faded in the bathroom because ''I liked those. They were perfect for my color scheme...now I have to come up with a replacement''. This is how I feel about changing my blog.

But the funny thing is...I almost always like the new towels, or the new carpet (orange-rust...JK!) It is just getting out of that comfortable place that I have created for myself. Now to relate this all to the quilting world:

You cannot have any fun quilting if you don't, on occasion, throw that yellow in...or lime green, or (gasp) orange-rust. Just do it. You will end up loving it even better.

Watch for my new and improved blog coming in the near future to computers near you.

p.s. picture was stolen from someone, who stole it from someone else. It is not of my home (thank God)

Getting a break!

2010-06-17T12:09:00.003-05:00

I took a break from my projects (to start a new one?) I bought this pattern a few years ago to use with my silk Japanese kimono fabric. The picture you see above is using regular quilting cotton because I didn't want to practice on my silks. I have come a long way with perfecting my paper piecing skills in just a few short months. (Thank you Carol Doak!) If you are ever in the middle of a project and you are in the phase of tearing your hair out or if your brain cells are falling out of your ears....it is time to cheat. I always have a list of things that I want to try, whether that is a technique, a sample of a block, or a new stitch on my machine. Whenever I get crazy, I just take a break from that project with one of these things. It is usually just a short, quick thing; something to take my mind off of the other one for just a few hours or a day. (Maybe I should list these in a little black book...that would be funny.) I find that it is much easier to tackle that stupid project that seems to laugh at me from time to time.

When You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail

2010-06-15T10:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I removed EQ5 and EQ6 upgrade from my computer....Because my EQ7 was delivered! finally. I am so excited to plug all of my quilt files into this baby and plan away. I can't wait to use and play with some of the new features.

I just don't know how I would get along without it now that I have it in my life. I wasted so much time before EQ came along just planning borders, figuring yardage, making templates, making mistakes. I am pretty darn good with math, but now I can free up valuable brain space for important things like facebook and blogging.

I know that I should read the tips and lessons, and I promise to do that. But first I want to just jump in and look around for a few hours. I will report back to you all soon on what I think of the all new quilt program. Have a great day quilting, everyone.

NO!

2010-06-12T04:23:00.004-05:00

I feel so much less stress these days due to the fact that I know how to use the word "no'' now. For the last 2 years or so, I have really nailed it down. Learning how to say it is not easy at first, but you are not doing anyone any favors (especially yourself) by letting others take advantage of you; whether they know that they are doing it or not. Don't get me wrong...it is completely fine to say 'yes'. Just make sure that you are saying yes to things that you really want to do. In the past, I have been exposed to all kinds of people that ask for assistance of one form or another. Some of them are your normal, run of the mill, kind of folk that are just looking for a quick answer or advice. Maybe they want me to show them how to sew a button on...you know, the normal ones. But, a few years ago, I have been asked to do all kinds of things in the most humorous ways...

''I will LET you make me a quilt." This one absolutely kills me. It is hard to keep a straight face sometimes. ''Really!? Me? How did I get so lucky to earn the honor of making you a quilt?''

My favorite one of all really has to be this one: "I have about 20 quilt tops that my grandmother made that I would like for you to hand quilt. How much would you charge for that?'' ''Um, how about you just pay off the national debt instead?'' I am quite sure that there is someone out there that would love to do this for you, I just simply am not that person.

I guess how I look at it is this: There are too damn many people in the world that think that money can buy you anything (unfortunately, most of the time these people are right). Then there are others that just want everybody else to do their 'dirty' work. Sometimes these folks are one in the same. Michelangelo was famous for making sure that people paid him what he was worth as an artist. He believed that if artists always did jobs for little or nothing, that is all that art would be look at as...little or nothing. So, I do tell people what I charge. That usually gets rid of them; but at least they leave a little more enlightened, and realize that quilters should be praised for their abilities and never taken advantage of. And when someone gives you the vibe of ''I'm too important of a person to do unimportant things'' tell them that you are working very hard to finish quilts for the people that deserve your quilts the most...your family.

Quilt 'til ya Wilt

2010-06-10T12:34:00.002-05:00

Don't you just LOVE it? I just got this one done yesterday for B and B quilting. The pattern is called 'Out on a Limb'. I think that I am going to use the same pattern using some of my vegetable fabric.

Considering that I have a 4 month old baby that I still breastfeed, and a 4 year old (that just became potty trained-YAY!), I manage to complete many projects. I know that there are a few of you out there that might be reading, saying ''Well, what the hell? When are you going to send my project back to me?'' I promise that they will be done this month. I am so sick of having all of these other projects taking up my valuable quilting space so I am on a crazy mission of completion right now.

I am also teaching a class pretty soon on project organization and meeting your quilting goals. So, I don't want to be to be hypocritically telling people how it's done. As long as I follow my little magic plan, I find myself getting all of these babies done. Many people ask me how I get so many things done. They say ''Didn't you just have a baby? How do you find the time? What does your medicine cabinet look like?'' One gal said that she quit quilting completely until her kids went off to college. Not quilt for 18 years?

There is a small list that I have of things that I will never give up until I am put into a box:

1) Quilting
2) Coffee
3) Chocolate
4) Loving my family

I was going to add alcohol, but let's face it; I can disgruntledly live without...if I really had to. But I really love, love, love Mexican Martinis.

NOT QUILT FOR 18 YEARS!? I can easily imagine a flock of pigs before that happens.

2010-06-07T23:32:00.003-05:00

Seriously, I didn't think that my son would be potty-trained until puberty. I don't know why he went from sitting in his own poop for hours (and liking it), to going every single time on the toilet. I was a hair's breath away from crossing that thin and very fragile line between normal and psychotic. Just a phone call away from 'please, come to pick me up for a visit to the farm'. Just when I think that I don't know what the hell that I am doing as a mother, he goes and pulls a 'gotcha' on me. I am totally unprepared for what he has in store for me next...what will it be?
Cleaning his own room? Doing his own laundry? No. That can't be it. I asked him to bring me the broom today and he replied ''Sure. What does it look like?''

I am not a spanker, so I had to hold my breath and bite my tongue every time I caught him 'hiding behind the chair'; which comes in pretty handy anyway. I usually had to hold my breath for hours. By the time I 'came to', I was laying in the middle of the living room floor with popcorn kernels, cheerios, and pop tart debris smashed into my hair, one of my socks missing, sharpie make-up on my face, and Toy Story 3 stickers on the back of my shirt. (OK, the sharpie make-up was a total dramatization, but believe me, it would have been an improvement.)

Now he makes a point to tell everyone that he goes potty in the big potty chair. He not only tells our waitress, grocer, neighbor lady, postal worker, pharmacist (my pharmacist already knows), doctors, nurses, random teenagers, and whoever is on the phone if he manages to answer it before I can; he tells them that his mommy can't pee like him because she doesn't have a wiener.

So, this evening, I am enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine. The kids are in bed. We said our prayers to the toilet gods and thanked them for saving mommy's brain from being studied at a local college. I am going to my quilting room. I am going to quilt until I grow a wiener.

I NEED a Retreat

2010-06-05T14:58:00.004-05:00

These are the blocks for month 4 of the Civil War Tribute quilt. I am making one for myself and I am helping on another one. So far, I have completed all of month 7 blocks (the 99 piece version), and months 1-4. I am just getting ready to start on month 5.

I am really getting caught up on the other projects looming over my head also. I have a serious goal to get at least 5 or 6 projects done this month...without having to start a crack cocaine habit. Maybe just a little chocolate. Maybe just a little more. Maybe a cup or two of coffee at 2am.

I am already sleep deprived, I might as well party like a quilter on retreat. OK, maybe not that crazy.

BOM'n the sewing room

2010-05-19T00:43:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of a block of the month quilt called 'Civil War Tribute' done by Homestead Hearth for Marcus Fabrics. I have been helping B and B quilting with the shop sample on this, and boy, oh boy is it something. I did the toughest blocks first (which is the norm for me). I figure that if I can get through the tough ones, the rest of them will be a breeze...and I was right. these other blocks that only have 50 pieces are much easier than the ones that have 99. I don't know where my brain was when I decided to sign up for the BOM. That means that I will be making many of these blocks twice! (or I could stick them in the box and pull them out after I have completely lost my mind...it will be new and exciting in 20 years!)

Peking up Projects

2010-05-13T00:31:00.003-05:00

Now, y'all look here. I made this quilt top a few months back for B & B quilting in Buda, TX using the pattern ''Peking Kids''. I did the applique paper lamp border by machine. Very cute, very fast. They have kits of this available (512) 312-2299. Blank Textiles made the fabric. I am more of a reproduction fabric kinda gal, but this one sneaked into my brain somehow.

I went to my block exchange group tonight to find that I have been put in charge of the next swap. Maybe if my next set of blocks are sent in reeking of vodka, they will pass over me the next few times. Not a bad idea! Sounds like a win-win to me. Ha.ha. Nah, I really love it. It makes me feel like I am needed, wanted, and loved (when really, no one else wants to do it)

I am off to bed early tonight now! (12:44am)

Happy Birthday Connor

2010-05-10T16:11:00.002-05:00

Connor had his 4th birthday on Mother's Day this year. His tractor driving skills are improving every day. Click here to enjoy his frustrations.

Secret Agent Woman

2010-05-07T10:11:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I was ribbing Pat Sloan on facebook about her amazing ability to complete projects, write books, do a radio show, blog, and do facebook. I found out how she really does it, but you have to go to her blog to find out....http://patsloan.typepad.com/

Doh!

2010-05-06T23:52:00.004-05:00

I went to Barnes and Noble today to get away from the other people that I live with for just a few hours. They drive me CRAZY sometimes. (I love you anyway, kiddos) I limited myself to purchasing only two things. I bought Connor a stuffed mouse since we finished reading Stewart Little today; and I chose a book for myself titled Fabric Dyer's Dictionary by Linda Johansen. Pretty cool book because it has recipes for all of the major colors that you can achieve and it tells you how to dye your own fabric in simple terms/instructions. Just what I need. I didn't realize it until I got home that I couldn't possibly buy the dyes to keep in my house until the kids are in college...and you all know why.

Positive Thinking Pessimist

2009-12-06T11:33:00.002-06:00

I learned today that I am a pessimist. I used to deny this fact with all of my worth and power. How could I be? I am a happy person. I look to the future with all the hope of rainbows, bright sunshiny skies, and half priced sales at the local quilt shop. I love seeing my goals, knowing that I CAN reach them.

What made me delve into this bizarre form of self observation? I don't have the foggiest. I just was thinking about a quote that I read the other day about how a textbook case optimist would think after falling the first 50 floors off of the empire state building "well, so far, so good!"

You see, people often (almost always) confuse optimism with the word positive, and pessimism with the word negative. BIG MISTAKE, people. Optimists will many times fail to see obstructions, kinks in plans, and wrenches in gears during their visions of success. They make the worst CEOs on the planet.

A pessimist will say "well, what is the worst that can happen? Can I deal with that?" A pessimist is a person who pulls all of their stock and throws it into bonds in August 2008 (thank you, thank you, thank you my wonderful husband). A pessimist is a person who shoots for the achievable, and then enjoys all of the wonderful gravy should there be any 'extra'. A pessimist keeps their 2003 Honda Civic yet another year because it is paid off instead of buying the 2010 Chevy Equinox that they have had visions of, just in case the economy isn't looking as rosy as all of the optimists are saying.

My life may not be exciting because of my positive pessimism, but I think that it will last a lot longer because of how I see my future. I see myself 98 years old, in a quaint home that is paid off with tons of cast-off scraps of fabric from other ladies projects. Is that something I can deal with? Oh, yes.

I really need to finish more quilts...

2009-08-27T11:00:00.003-05:00

I just got a call yesterday from a lady who professionally machine quilted a baby quilt for my daughter (to be born January 20th). It reminded me that I have yet to post quilts to my blog that I have finished this last year; not to mention a few quilt tops and other projects that have been getting done in the process of life. The above picture is of a quilt that I made last summer for a friends baby. I am hoping to get more pics up asap.

I Think I See Light at the End of the Tunnel

2009-08-27T10:16:00.006-05:00

This is another 'thing' that I have finished. Again, many of you have seen this, too. What can I say, my friends are everywhere on this computer. This is a block from the book 'Artful Applique' by Jane Townswick. Once I get caught up on a few projects that people are waiting on, I will go back to doing more of these. Sometimes just getting a block done when you have 256 different projects going on can be very satisfying. I am close to being back on track with my '4 projects' plan, which helps me get sooooo much done. Like digging yourself out of a hole filled with sand.

Another One Out of My Sewing Room

2009-08-26T08:46:00.004-05:00

I posted this one on one of my other accounts, so some of you have already seen this one. It was made to go to my sister to give away at the hospital where she works. I get these scrap blocks sometimes that I can't bear to throw away, so I just add a bunch of other 'to get rid of' fabrics to make a little give-away quilt. This particular one has a bunch of cotton-poly (which I don't put into my own quilts) so I was surprised at how soft it was when I was finished with it. It is a bit busy and bright, but I think that some little girl would love this as her play quilt.

Finished With That One

2009-08-25T22:33:00.003-05:00

While I was A.W.O.L. from my blog a while ago, I did finish that quilt with the churn dash for a friends little boy. It does not have intricate quilting, but I figured that it was going to get drug around, so as long as it holds together, no use putting hand quilted feathers in it or anything. The cute thing that I did, was a while before their baby was born, I asked the dad if he had any old plaid shirts that I could use for 'a project' that I was working on. His shirt ended up being the fussy-cut cornerstones in the quilt. I put an awesome label on the back and named it '...and One of Daddy's Shirts".

I will have to post some of the other things that I have gotten done in the last few months. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Thank You, Kathy

2009-08-24T15:06:00.003-05:00

You can learn so much from fellow quilters. But have you ever said 'Thank You' to any of those sweet gals that helped you when it looked like your quilt was heading for the thrift store? I think that every now and then, I will be giving credit where credit is due by posting one of my friends, then telling you what I have learned from them.

Just so you are all aware, great quilters are not born, they are taught. (Well, some are born. But they are not allowed to be mentioned in my blog...standards, you know) So when you meet one of those ladies that has perfect binding; she learned that from another genius quilter. Most of the quilting knowledge that I have was obtained by trial and error (lots of it), well written quilt books and magazines, or by friends. My favorite lessons by far are from friends. I think it is so funny that they really don't realize how much they are impacting your life as a quilter with these little tidbits of information.

Let me tell you about Kathy. She taught me the 'flipper' border. It is a border that is attached to the quilt, but is 3-dimensional. These are great when you realize too late that a quilt needs a punch of red between the quilts main body and the border and you don't want to do all of that mathematical readjusting of the outer border dimensions. (If you are nice to her, she just may teach you how to do it on her blog.) I also learned to use glue to baste when doing applique. I knew to do it, I just needed to watch it in action first. Another thing she taught me was doing a binding with Elmer's school glue, which she learned on an Internet video. Come to think of it, it just may be the fact that she is around glue fumes so much that makes me love her fabulous personality. Thank you, Kathy. I hope to return the favor someday soon...If I can only come up with a technique involving margaritas.

Fabric From Heaven

2009-08-14T12:38:00.003-05:00

Rhonda, a friend of mine, posts her favorite fabrics on 'Favorite Fabric Monday' on her blog (go check it out by clicking on her name) I thought it was such a great idea that I would steal it this one(?) time so that you could see for once what kind of fabric makes my toes curl. I really, really, love yellow. Especially if it is combined with black and red; and even that splash of green makes it just right. I absolutely love the kitchy look, too. anything from the 40's and 50's is always welcome in my fabric stash. (although, what kind of quilter would turn down fabric of any nature, as long as it is not double-knit polyester?)

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown

2009-08-12T09:14:00.006-05:00

I get really excited about taking care of 'to do' stuff on my list of, well, stuff. For example, I need to buy batteries to go into all of Connor's toys that have died or sound like Elmo on a week-long drinking spree. I need to sweet talk my husband into putting a ceiling fan in Connor's bedroom. (and the way you do that is you go to Lowe's, you pick out and purchase the fan you want, stop by the liquor store and buy Bombay Saphire gin, some tonic and limes. Then you bring it all home and say..."Honey, I made you a drink. Oh by the way...") I really need to fix the seal on the door to our shower too, but that is on another day and more of the beer caliber. My most recent accomplishment is replacing the toilet seat on our throne. But that was all me. I got one of those 'fancy' ones that has a silent lid that slowly closes. (which is really nice except I forget about it when I am using someone else's bathroom and throw down that lid like I'm closing the door on a 1973 Ford LTD) It also has pop-off hinges so that you can take the entire toilet seat off for cleaning. I am pretty grossed out about this in some ways because you know that some senile person out there is probably cleaning theirs by throwing it into the dishwasher.

Anyway, I did that one by myself. It is amazing how much pride you can take in the most menial of jobs. That is when you realize that you have arrived at stay-at-home-motherhood, which is a lot like Hotel California, without the pink champagne on ice.

Time to 'Fess Up

2009-08-11T10:09:00.004-05:00

Some of you know, and some of you don't. I decided to go ahead and get myself pregnant again. Really, we had been trying for a few years, so we were not so shocked, and at the same time shocked all at once. I am almost through my 4th month and will hit the half-way mark in a few weeks. I decided to wait to tell a lot of people for a few months, not because of my age, but because it is really frowned upon when 'crazy' folks have children. K. I am kidding. I am 35 now and will be 36 by the time the crying starts (for both the baby and me), so I had to keep my trap shut for a while.

I am due January 20. There. Now you know. I won't be talking too much about it on the blog, only because I still have one or two things I hold sacred for quilting. One is my quilting room, the other is my quilting friends. When I blog or quilt (which hasn't been too often, right gals?) I like to forget for a moment that I can almost balance a Pepsi can on my tank. It is my happy place, you know. The only frequent urination on my blog shall be reserved for laughing only.

So, although I do not mind questions and comments on the pregnancy thing, I just love my 15 minute breaks from it all where I can sit and read what other bloggers are making, write what I had going on that day, and forget that my son is still not potty trained.

Green Thumb? Ha!

2009-08-10T11:34:00.002-05:00

Calling all botanical geniuses...I really would like to know what kind of flowers these are. I figure anything that can grow with virtually no water and tons of sun, needs to be in my yard; plus they are a heck of a lot purtier than cacti. click on the picture to get a close-up.

Then I think I should get a landscaper to rethink our front yard design. any volunteers?

Imperfection in Perfection

2009-08-09T17:14:00.003-05:00

I am putting the binding on a baby quilt for donation. Some of my quilts; I have to admit, are just thrown together without using pins to piece, no walking foot to quilt, no 100 percent cotton requirements. It can be very liberating to make a quilt top that has chopped off points, and intersections that, well, don't quite intersect. The problem is that when I make these quilts, they come out looking like some of the utilitarian quilts that I grew up knowing. I start falling in love with this imperfect thing and want really badly to keep it for myself. I have decided to still give this quilt away to charity, like I had intended to begin with. But the next one that turns out like this I will keep...but I will put one of my friends names on the label as the maker so that no one knows that I made the crappy thing!

2009-08-08T09:31:00.003-05:00

When ever Connor wears this Nike shirt, People inevitably ask him what letter is on his t-shirt. (maybe because of his age?) His response never changes. He looks down and says "it's a 'u'".

Wow, I Feel Better Now

2009-08-06T12:44:00.002-05:00

I have a real problem. A problem that no one can help me with. I have an 'acquaintance' that thinks that she is smarter than all authority. She has a G.E.D. (not that people with G.E.D.'s are stupid people...but let's just say that this particular person is definitely not advanced diploma-type material). She gets angry about a subject, then spouts off about it, saying how unfair it is that she is being treated this way. She pays to get advice from doctors, then she totally ignores everything they have to say. (what do they know?...) Then, she asks every one's opinion about it. Let me be the first to tell anyone reading this...if you ask for an opinion or advice, you better damn well be prepared to hear the answer. Well this is also the kind of person who only wants to hear your opinion if it is exactly the same as hers. If she would only take peoples advice (not even counting mine here) her quality of life would improve well beyond her means. But alas, she is so stubborn and has no chance in the near future to enjoy a happy life.

Now, I could be the kind of person who only tells people what they want to hear; but that would only make me a hypocrite. I take comfort in the fact that if a friend or relative or acquaintance wants or needs advice from me, I will give my honest feedback to them. I would want that in return. It may not always be the sweetest smell, but constructive criticism never is.

well, there you go.

2009-04-10T09:59:00.004-05:00

I was just telling one of my commenters that I need to find my camera cord for downloading pictures so that I can post again. Then I realized that this one was a pretty lame excuse and I was getting to the bottom of the barrel any good ones. Pretty soon I will write that my dog ate my computer and now every time I rub his belly, he logs off...but I don't have a dog; not even a bird or fish. I have a soon to be 3-year old (yay) that wouldn't think twice about eating my computer if he could just get his hands on it. I have a few great posts in mind for the near future, but I really need to show in order to tell. So, instead I just affixed one that I already had on my computer. This is my son, Connor climbing on the alter at...no, not a wedding...a funeral. My grandmother is probably chuckling from heaven on that one. As you can see from the picture, he is a yoga instructor; and I must be a ballerina because he keeps me on my toes.

3 more blocks

2009-03-14T00:10:00.004-05:00

I want you all to know that these are going together slowly. I didn't get these three done since my last entry, they have been in the works for a while. (4 1/2 inch)

Big Top

2009-03-10T12:14:00.001-05:00

This is Big Top (F-1...I wonder what the 'F' stands for?) from my Dear Jane quilt that I started. This block was pretty easy once I took the bull by the horns. But that bull chased me for a few miles before I decided enough is enough. The edges look like they are ruffled, but that is because I squashed it down on the scanner. it measures 4 1/2 inch finished.

But Seriously, Folks

2009-03-09T10:12:00.003-05:00

Gosh, so much has happened. I didn't write for a while because everything was touch and go for a few months because of my husband's job. He works for a tech industry company that (like everyone else) is restructuring, downsizing, and simply trying to keep afloat. His hours had been cut way back, which really put a crimp in the old budget. We counted our blessings, however, that he stayed employed through the hardest part. My heart and prayers go out to those individuals and families who are struggling in the worst economy that we have seen in a long, long, while.

I know that when things get like this, I do something really stupid like, well, like starting a Dear Jane quilt. I need a new intricately pieced, horrendously huge, completely irrational project to take up all of my worry time. O.K., but you guys don't understand...they have a support group. I was all for it until I realized that the support group was not there to help you quit, they are what I call "enablers". Just when you think that you can put those little blocks away in a box and bury them in the back of the closet, some lady who has already made ten Dear Jane quilts says "well sweetie, you just paper piece that one and applique the diamonds. You can handle this one, as smart as you are." Well, what am I supposed to do? The poor thing thinks I'm smart, and let's face it, I don't hear that too much anymore. Plus, if I only ate OREOs when I was worried or stressed, I would be sitting on two chairs instead of one right now. Seriously.

I Sleep with a Quilt and a Gun

2009-01-18T00:18:00.005-06:00

While at retreat, I finished a quilt top for a friends baby. I still need to sandwich it together, quilt it, and bind it; so it really isn't done yet. I wanted to make sure that it would be O.K. to give to a girl or a boy. I hope that I made that happen. I have always wanted to do a plaid churn dash, so here was my chance. I ran to my nearest friendly neighborhood thrift store and bought up an arm full of men's button down cotton plaid shirts. Then I started cutting away. I liked it so much when I got the top done, that I decided that I am going to make a replica for myself; except with appliqued plaid flowers around in the brown area. Working with men's dress shirts is kind of like working with batiks. They have a tighter weave and a crisp feel to them. The thing that I love the most about them is that you cannot find these in a quilt store. I don't have anything against quilt stores (of course!), but it is sometimes a little bit of a downer when you see that the lady that sits up front at all of the guild meetings is now showing off an award winning quilt starring the same exact Moda currently in your quilt that has not even seen the quilting frame yet. All right, this never happened to me...but I wake in cold sweats all of the time worrying that someone out there is stealing my Hoffman idea right out of my sleep. Really, what am I worried about anyway? It isn't like the sweet ol' quilter down the way is now parked in my driveway with binoculars trying to get a glimpse of my quilt. I think that I would have to win a ribbon or two before I get all hoity-toity with my 'rare' churn dash design. Maybe a double-knit polyester Baltimore album quilt would be the way the go...you gotta admit it...who the hell else would take on such a moronic, foolish, and pointless endeavor?

Staring at a Not-So-Blank Wall

2009-01-16T23:36:00.003-06:00

This is one of the corners of my sewing room. I finally got one of my flannel walls up this week. I will eventually have 3 in all. Two of these smaller ones and one big one. It really helps to have one, even if it a small one. I still rely heavily on my EQ6 for auditioning ideas, but I really like this small area for throwing a block or two up. The diamonds that you see on my wall are from the 1940's. They used to be in a Texas Lone Star quilt by an unknown maker. When I acquired it, I laid it flat, or at least tried to. It had more ruffles than a square dancer's skirt. I took every piece apart, picked, ironed, cut and sewed the diamonds back together by hand. I am about half done now with these. Since I am not working on these as a deadline project, they have been getting done in spare time over the last few years. I am planning on applying the diamonds to a muslin background in the pattern that is shown here so that I can do some hand quilting in the star-shaped pieces.

I love the Picasso picture in my room too. It has a quote by him on it that says "My mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you will be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope.' Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso." What a wonderful way of saying that you can be great just doing what you do best.

I also tried to edit out my big screen T.V. so that I would not make any of you jealous, but I would have ended up cutting out part of the picture. Someday I may even upgrade to something frighteningly huge...like a 19 inch.

I Drink I Will Have a Think and Iron Some

2009-01-16T02:04:00.005-06:00

Now this is not really what I would call 'top shelf' vodka. Actually, it is pretty cheap...and let me tell you why it is on the top shelf in my sewing room, and not empty on the floor under my sewing chair. First of all, when it comes to vodka, I have acquired a taste for more distinguished brands. I am perfectly fine lowering my snobby standards; however, if the lower quality alternative is mixed into a Mexican Martini. Secondly, my 'good' bottles are not the size of Napoleon. What I use the vodka for is to mix into my spray bottles with distilled water (and lavender if you so choose). This is a much cheaper alternative to those expensive brand-name linen sprays that you keep around your iron when pressing all of your lovely blocks. Vodka is usually made with potatoes, wheat, rye or similar grains. It has a light starch to it for this reason. Vodka is also colorless, and odorless for the most part, so it is the perfect thing to use on your laundry, linens, or fabric when you are looking for a nice, light crisp feel to it. As always, I highly recommend testing it in an inconspicuous area before spraying away. (CYA) I have never had a problem with any of my fabrics bleeding when using this spray. Or maybe I just can't see the fabric any more after a few blocks. Two sprays for me, one for the churn dash, Two for me one for the durn chash. For those who want to throw Carrie Nation back into the closet where she belongs...here is the chemical solution:

Monica's Linen Spray and Quilt Room Refreshment

2 Cups distilled water
1/4 Cup Vodka
10 drops of lavender essences (optional, and whatever scent you like)

Carol is worth every stitch

2009-01-09T13:01:00.004-06:00

I have posted before about this quilt top. It was initally supposed to be a round robin quilt top, but the sweet gal who got this top back at the end of the rounds got the short end of the deal. Her top only had the center, the sawtooth border and the applique border, with the 'plaid' border being incomplete. Carol is an excellent piecer. When I look at her work, I just can't believe that it was made by human hands and not a robotic machine. The back of her work could just as well be the front because of how perfect her seams lay. They are trimmed of any flyaway threads and the dang blocks actually measure a square shape. I love knowing people like her because it makes me strive to make my blocks better. With all of this being said, it was sad to see her quilt had been returned to her in the state that it was in; especially after she had put so much work into everyone else's borders. When I saw her at my last retreat, I wanted to just cry when I saw it. I was disgusted with it. I asked Carol if she would let me fix the plaid border and add an extra one. I told her that I was not sure how long it would take me but I would work on it as quickly as possible. She was happy to let me take it. The only way I could fix the plaid border was to take each little piece of fabric apart, pick off all of the little threads, press them, cut them to the correct size, resew them together, then reassemble the blocks. I designed the final border to compliment the prior borders and center, keeping in mind that she may want to add extra borders past mine. I hope that all of her patience with me is worth it in the end, because it was definately worth it for me to do it, knowing that she will finally get the quilt that she very much deserves.

M.I.A.

2009-01-09T11:48:00.005-06:00

I see that I haven't been blogging since December...I have been knocked into a social coma for a few weeks. It has been so long that when I ventured out to get groceries the other day, my neighbors stopped me and introduced me to the neighborhood, again. I really like disappearing every once in awhile. It gives me a break from the 'rules of etiquette'(not that I ever read that book). Also, when I am able to climb in a hole, I get to work on projects that need to be finished. Playgroups for Connor, ladies night out, and other social gatherings go on hold too. Every now and then one of these groups will drop-in on me to see if I am O.K. and I will just tell them that 'The U.F.O.'s are attacking me!'...and they usually quickly disperse and leave me alone for a long while. It also helps if when you are walking out to your mailbox everyday, you mutter to yourself (out loud) your 'quilts of the undone' list. Shoot, go ahead and wear your bunny slippers, too. Midway through my leave of absence, a dear friend of mine named Delona, called me to ask if I wanted to go on a quilting retreat with her to the Compass Centre this weekend. I really don't know how I was able to pull it off, but here I am, quilting with a bunch of sleep-deprived, coffee-and-chocolate filled, crazy ladies. I will be blogging again in a few hours with pictures of the festivities. It will give me a chance to re-touch the photos to make us look like Stepford Housewives instead of Twisted Sisters.

Go Have a Mug of Chocolate Cake

2008-12-05T12:48:00.002-06:00

Oh, my God in heaven. I am forever thankful to Granny G for posting her 'Chocolate Cake in a Mug recipe' on her web site. I am sitting here enjoying a gooey, hot, melty, chocolate cake out of a mug. It was made in 3 minutes. Go get the recipe here: www.grannieg.com, and then run to your pantry right now! It is an emergency. No measuring cups needed, just a 1 Tbsp. Run, I tell you, Run. I would have taken a picture of mine and posted it, but the drool broke my camera.

The Calm After the Storm

2008-11-24T16:49:00.009-06:00

Here are the 'after' pictures of Chris' office. If I had more money, I would do the dining room next. Thank God I don't have any more money.

I didn't have enough funds to get him a new desk so I had to 'recreate' his current one. Since I wanted to place his desk in the middle of the room, and it was (is) an open front desk, I built a wooden 'skirt' to go around the two sides and back so that you dont see all of the ugly cords. To bring the cords to the desk, I bought a large area rug. I ran the cords between the area rug and the carpeting. I cut a 4 inch diameter circle out of the rug under the desk to bring the cords up. If the rug is ever to be used for another purpose in the future, the circle that I cut out of the rug can simply be duct-taped back into place from the back side.

I wanted to hang a big picture on this wall. I found a perfect one of Paris, France for 60 dollars. (we spent a few weeks there on our honeymoon, so it is sentimental as well as the black and white scheme that I was trying to follow)Chris likes to enjoy an occasional adult beverage in the evening. He used to keep this stuff in my kitchen pantry and cart it into his office. I figured, why not just make a spot for it in his office since it is locked anyway. I found the drink tray at Hobby Lobby. (Thanksgiving, half-price). It had a painted pumpkin design that needed to be covered so I cut a waterproof place mat to the exact size and placed it in the bottom of the tray. The dresser had to be built, but it was a cinch. The floating shelf was a snap also. I will eventually put a couple of small lights under the shelf that light the dresser.These shelves had to be built also. In addition to the four shelf units, I assembled two height extensions, added four doors, and four drawers. I still had room on this wall to hang his patent and college diploma. A floor plant will go by the window in the back corner.

Really, these curtains on his doors are only pinned up for now. I wasn't sure if he was going to like them so I didn't finish them until I got the "O.K." this step should only take a few minutes. The pictures above the doors are regular photos that I had made into black and white, then blown up to a 11x14 inch size. Ritz was able to print them in a matter of hours. I found the 16x20 inch frames with mats included at Michaels for 13 dollars each. The first night of my project I cleaned out his office and painted. The blue dot on the wall that you see is actually a piece of blue painters tape. I always go back and look over the walls when I am finished painting. If there is an area that needs touch-up, I place a little piece of blue tape there so that I don't forget where to go. Luckily, this is the only little spot that needs attention.

I screwed knobs into the wall; four on each side of each window so that I could hang decorative curtains without spending money on two rods. These shutter blinds swing open, so hanging functional curtains would have been more expensive and stupid.

I hope that I didn't bore you all to death with my project...but I figured someone may get some ideas from it. Now on to my quilting room!

The Calm Before the Storm

2008-11-24T16:20:00.005-06:00

Here are a few "before" pictures of my husbands office. I will post the "after" pictures on the next post.

The Race of 50 Million

2008-11-24T15:41:00.002-06:00

Does anyone else out there feel like they are constantly running towards a finish line, only to have the race coordinator tell you that you actually have a whole lot farther to go? I feel like I am in this race every day. There are fifty million other runners lapping me while I am going at life with a constant stitch in my side. Why is it that I can't reach my (not too far set) goals?Laundry is never "done". I mean it could be, but the whole house would have to go up in flames for me to see that. Dishes are not too much trouble, but I like to not have anything icky or sticky to look at in the morning so I try to tackle those as often as possible. The fridge has leftovers in it from the Clinton administration and my desk still is not cleared off...but duct tape is holding it all up like a charm! Making my bed in the morning is the only big sense of accomplishment that I normally have in a day. (I should take pictures since I really am proud of that one.) I have figured out that I love to plan and start things. A lot of things. I like to finish them too, but not as much as I like to start them. In quilting, my bindings are few and far between, but at least I set realistic goals with quilting. Maybe I should wash all of my socks today and call it quits on laundry; then wash only the forks for dishes. Hey, in a week I could have half of it done! More time for quilting. One of the most lofty goals that I have set recently is re-doing my husbands office. I decided to wait to do this job until he went out of town for a weekend (apparently, that is like...two days) so that he would be surprised when he came home. Well, long story short...I did it. I cannot believe I did it! There were a few minor loose ends that didn't get done in time; but for the most part it is done. I think that making this outrageous goal, then reaching it was exactly what I needed to start getting my second wind to sprint towards the finish line on my other goals. Before I know it, even my vacuum cleaner will come out of hiding. Kidding, Kidding. Let's not get too crazy.

The Quilting Statue of Liberty

2008-10-29T11:24:00.004-05:00

I would like to go to a quilt show. Yes, I have been to Houston. But I would like to go to a quilt show where the quilts are made and used by human beings. I really do not want to ruffle any feathers here or give anyone the impression that I don't genuinely appreciate the talent, work, time, money, etc. etc. etc. that goes into making a 'best of show' quilt; but I really am a lot more grounded than that. I have seen some of these best of show quilts, and quite frankly; I have mixed emotions about the whole deal. On one hand, if there should be art, this is the kind of art that not only holds my attention, but is something that is beyond words in beauty. In other words, quilts are my favorite kind of art to appreciate. No question. On the other hand, the hand that bleeds from hand quilting, hand piecing, and building shelves to hold fabric; I have to say:

WHERE ARE THE QUILTS?

I want and need to see a traditional quilt win something. It has to have under 1 billion stitches per square inch. It has to have two, maybe three, colors to it. It cannot have any applique anywhere on it or it is disqualified for being "showy'. It has to be made by someone who actually has grandchildren ( grandchildren who have one of her quilts and drags it around where ever they go), it has to have a 'humble block', it cannot be perfectly square, it has to have a mistake in it somewhere and that mistake has to be notated on the information card, it has to have a wave at the bottom when hung, and most importantly, it actually has to drape when displayed on a bed. If it is stiff as cardboard from the quilting and sizing, it needs to be omitted from the show completely. this quilt needs to have pictures submitted with the application showing it actually being used as a quilt being slept under. That is what I want to see. If I had any grandchildren, I am sure that I would have one quilt (or two) in that show for other human quilters to appreciate.

So fellow quilters, I say this: Show me your worn, your seam-ripped, your faded, show the huddled masses yearning to breathe free! I lift my rotary cutter in salute to you!

A Winning Battle in the War of UFOs (part 3)

2008-10-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I am sorry that I kept a few of you hanging on this post. I have honestly been quite busy doing all of the normal things that you are supposed to do to keep a house in order. Well, at least I gave it some thought and a little effort. So without going into that and boring the crap out of you all; instead, I will give my last day of information to you all about UFOs.

This next picture is just another example of the calendar, except it is a view of your week.

This is what I do...you don't have to do the same thing, but it makes me realize my goals if I know where I am in the week. Before beginning my week on my one project, I write a goal on the last day of the week. If you do this, make sure it is a realistic goal, or you will just set yourself up for failure, giving you no sense of accomplishment.

If you never use a calendar, that is OK. Like I said earlier, I don't really use one anymore now that I have the system down. But one thing that is VERY important is the 5-subject notebook. I use it as a kind of journal and note keeper on the 4 projects. Each section is dedicated to one project. As I am working on a project, I will add an entry about what I was able to finish. This comes in handy when I pull the project out the next month. I can see that I left off needing to make 52 more churn dash blocks, for example. Before I started doing my projects this way, I would waste so much time trying to figure out what size I had to cut each piece, how much fabric I would need, what finished measurements I would have, what fabric options I would use, what quilting design I was going to put where...the list is long and tedious. I wasted so much time; in fact, that I would only finish a few things on that project and 'put it away' not bothering to write any of that information down. OH MY GOODNESS! This seems like a no-brainer, but it saves so much time. I love pulling a project down now. It is so nice to have all of that info right there for you to just jump in to start quilting.

The pocket dividers are a nice addition to the notebook if you are able to find one that way. I tend to throw magazine patterns, idea clippings, swatches, pictures, post-its or whatever in there.

When I finish a project, I pull out all of the pages, notes, pictures, etc. and I put them in my scrapbook. I then use that empty section of the notebook for the next project replacing it. (you will be able to go through quite a few projects in each section before having to buy a new notebook. The 5th section, I use for my cheater project notes, but I am sure there may be a lot of other uses for it.

That's it. That's all I have. It doesn't seem that hard, does it? It is all just a matter of disciplining yourself a little bit. You don't have to get too anal-retentive here, but just tiny bits of organization helps a whole lot. Good luck with your projects. Please do not hesitate to give me updates and please tell me what worked for you better. Any tips and hints that I can get will help me get rid of the aliens in my closet.

A Winning Battle in the War of UFOs (part 2)

2008-10-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

O.K. Just so you all know, I am only using the calendar as a way to explain how this works. After doing your projects like this for a few months, you will not need to use a calendar because, well, you will just get it. The picture above is just an example of how your month will go.

The first week you will work on your 2nd most important project that needs to get done.

The second week you will work on your 1st most important project that needs to get done. (I know you are saying "Huh?" but just wait...)

The 3rd week you will work on your 3rd most important project of the 4.

The 4th week you will work on your 4th most important project.

Each week you will work on one quilt. Your week starts on Monday and finishes on Sunday. Sunday is the day that you will pack your project back up into its box or bag and put it away until the next month. If a month has 5 Mondays, then in this system, it has 5 weeks, in which case you would work on the 1st most important project again on that 5th week. Then next month on the first Monday you will start again with the 2nd most important project. Now you see why I do the 2nd on the first week...I needed to have a 'break' between me working on my 1st priority.

Now, lets say that you are piecing blocks by machine on one of your projects one week and your machine breaks, or you run out of fabric and have to order more...you actually have a 'cheater project' or 5th project that you can work on but you should not work on any of the other 3 projects. I work on my 'cheater project' when my hands get sore from hand quilting or when I am creatively blank or if I just plain don't want to work on that weeks project for a day or so.

Let me give you reasons why this system works for me (and hopefully you, too)

I force myself to only work on one project during the week...so simply put: If you wanna quilt, Monica, quilt this...it forces me to get over whatever road block that caused me to stick the thing in my closet in the first place.

By working on a project for a week, and being 'forced' to put it away on Sunday...you are going to find yourself actually wanting to work on it again the next month. In other words, you are not working on these projects long enough to get sick of them.

I never feel guilty about starting a new project now...as long as it is used as my 'cheater project'

By only focusing on 4 projects, I find that I am more aware of what supplies I need to get them done. I try to only spend money on fabric, etc. for these 4 projects. I don't even worry that I have 35 (or much more) UFOs that need to get done...just these 4.

After completing a project, I will finish out the week doing the 'cheater project' then I get to re-evaluate which quilts are most important and add another UFO from my pile to replace the one that I finished.

If you find that you are not getting one of you projects done or are not looking forward to it after a few months of this system; it is a very good indication that you don't want it done bad enough and you should find another person to give it to. (Well...it IS a way to get it out of your closet you know)

By putting my entire project away at the end of every week, I don't have it in the way of my other projects or stressing me out; plus, when I take that project out again, everything is there. No hunting everywhere for the fabric, stencils, etc.

I will give final information tomorrow. Don't worry...tomorrow's instructions won't make your head hurt. Big huge smile.

My 4 Projects

2008-10-20T18:21:00.000-05:00

O.K. everyone out there in quiltland. I don't have a lot of time to post right now, so I will make this one quick and do part 2 tonight when I have a little more time and the sweet sound of silence. I just wanted to share a picture of how I store my 4 projects...I hang them on the wall on coat hooks that I screwed into a stud behind the drywall so that they are strong enough to hold the weight. I can put my projects away so much easier, then bring them out knowing that the whole project is right there in the bag. See y'all tonight!

A Winning Battle in the War of UFOs. (Part 1)

2008-10-17T10:07:00.000-05:00

How many of you want to get rid of UFOs? How many of you have a closet that looks anything like the one in the picture above? I collect projects like Michael Phelps collects medals. But I have a system that works. You can get tons of them done in the next 6 months. All you have to do is send 3 equal payments of $29.95 to...KIDDING. Man, I actually heard purses being ripped open. OK, all seriousness aside...I really do have a system that works. In the next few days I am going to go over the details of how it works and what to do if you want to try it out. It is not for everyone. I repeat. It is not for everyone. If you are one of those quilters that needs to work on 20 different quilts in one day because you get bored with 10 minutes on one; this is not for you; however, it could be modified for you. If you find that you are woman enough to step up to the line to give it a try; well, come on with your bad self. I challenge you. To give you a teaser: You work on 4 quilts at a time. You will save so much money. Your friends will like you better.

I am going to start day one of the instructions today:

You will need 1 calendar dedicated to this project. This does not have to be fancy, but don't make it too tiny. The best ones are the ones that have a month view and a week view so that you can take notes. If you like cheap...Your computer has one.

you will need a 5 subject notebook, or 5 single subject notebooks will work, it is just a lot nicer to have it all in one book. Mine has pockets in the divider pages which really comes in handy.

To really play by the rules. You will have to clean your sewing room/space up. (as good as humanly possible) Mine was so bad before I started this system that when a tornado hit it; everything ended back up in the right place. But don't be waitin' for a high wind, girls. Just focus on one area at a time and it will come together.

You will need 4 big bags or boxes to keep 4 of the projects in. To give you an idea of size...you know those cardboard file boxes for IRS documents?...no bigger than that.

I realize that I have already lost a lot of you with number 3. But just hear me out on this...there is a reason for everything.

So your first assignment is NOT to list every stinking UFO that you have, but to simply choose 4 of the quilts that need to be done first. Prioritize! (One little hint: If you are a hand quilter, make sure that you have only one of these in hand-quilting stage) Do you have those 4? Once you do, none of the other UFOs should exist in your mind. Sure, they are still all huddled together in the back of your closet crying because you didn't choose them, but their day will come. For now they don't exist. Isn't that cool? Your mind will only focus on 4. Zero stress. I can already feel your planets aligning.

That's not all! Tomorrow I will give you the next set of instructions for the "System that Works"

Did I Mention that Yellow is My Favorite Color?

2008-10-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

Y'all need to go over to Pigtails and Snails to try to win a quilt. Yes, a quilt. I know that there a lot of generous people out there that make quilts and just give them away....wait, I guess that is what I do. But for some reason I have the ssssslllllllooooooowwwww gene. If I can spit out a quilt or two in a decade, I am doing good. I think that I need to be a little more accepting to machine quilting though. My quilts become my babies. By the time I finish them, I don't feel very good about giving them away, even if they were started with someone in mind. It is really hard for me to let go; that is until I see the reaction on the face of the person receiving my quilt. I guess it is a lot like giving a child up for adoption. So...if I should ever be so lucky to win a quilt, or receive a quilt as a gift, I would be one of those great 'open-adoption quilt parents' that would allow the maker to visit the quilt whenever they would like to see it again. I can't wait to give a quilt away on my blog. Start watching for it in 2015...It will be worth the wait, I promise!

Molly Keeps Me on Pins and Needles

2008-10-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

I was reading a blog post today at Molly's Place and she is making up all of these cute pincushions (which; by the way, you cannot have too many of.) It made me think of sharing this thing that I do with some of my hand-type projects. I load up on pencil boxes every year from back-to-school sales when you can get them for 50 cents a piece. Then, I put a block that I am working on in each one making sure that I have everything that I need in it. I put thread on bobbins so that I don't have to carry around whole spools. I put a pair of scissors in each one that I am working on (sometimes 6 at a time!). A mechanical pencil, needles and pins. Since pincushions are usually so big, I make up the soda-pop bottle cap ones like you see above. It is big enough to hold the pins and needles that I need and small enough that it fits in the box. My plan is to put a Velcro tab on the inside of the box, and the bottom of the pincushion so that it stays put when I am working on my blocks. These boxes are great for crazy quilting (all quilting is), applique', Dear Jane blocks, or embroidery. I keep one of these boxes in my car for those times when I am waiting in line at the bank, or when Connor falls asleep in his car seat and I don't dare wake him up or move him, or when I go to Dr.'s offices, restaurants, etc. where I am forced to wait. I keep one at home just sitting out so that I can grab it when I get a 5 minute break. Anyway...that is my little idea. And if you want to make those pincushions...go to Molly's blog and check hers out because they are a thousand times more beautiful than mine! She already has me running around my house rounding up every cap I can find so that I can give mine a face lift. Gotta keep up with the Jones' you know.

Patience is a Virtue...But so is Hope, Right?

2008-10-11T10:51:00.001-05:00

My husband left this morning to watch the Texas-Oklahoma game at a friends house. It is an early game. I was invited also, but I thought that it would be nice to get a blog in and do some uninterrupted sewing. He even brought Connor with him; bless his heart. Connor was very cooperative so far today. He ate his eggs and toast without tornado strength destruction, he sat very still so that I could comb his hair (so still, in fact, that I did not have to use mom spit to do the job), he didn't insist on picking his own clothes and dressing himself, and he pooped his pants right before walking out the door. Take that daddy. O.K., O.K., I didn't let him go like that. I did clean him up for my husband. We are trying (without success) to potty-train Connor. It is horrible. I have put the training underwear on him because people tell me that they don't like the way wet clothes feel on their skin. Not only is Connor completely fine with the sensation, but it puts a smile on his face to complete it with the 'I've got a potato in the back of my pants' look. Most likely he is just practicing defiance to prepare for the teenage years. I really hope he is using the big boy potty by that time.
He is only two, so I am not discouraged, just impatient. Also, the very last thing that moms in my situation want to hear is other moms bragging about how they trained their children in two days, and telling me what I am doing 'wrong'. Look, you got lucky. It has nothing to do with your super human mom qualities. I am the oldest of 7 children. None of us were the same. If a child decides to bestow the gift of pooping in the potty to his parents, it was completely their own decision to do so. No smoke and mirrors, no rain dances, no voo-doo wiccan potions, no prayers to St. Jude will help...(believe me on this one). He will just figure it out eventually; as long as I am consistent and persistent, and loving and encouraging. The only things that keep me going on this is the knowledge that he will have to train his kids someday, and quilting.
I have talked to so many quilters that have said that they just couldn't do any quilting during the child-rearing years. How could you not? I would go absolutely and verifiably insane if I could not make a stinking nine patch every now and then. Here's an idea: I could start a quilt with a embroidered toilet on it and a border that says: Congratulations, Connor! You are a big boy now! You went pee pee in the potty!...If I start it now I can give it to his wife as a wedding gift, too. I am sure she will understand why.

Before and After

2008-10-10T09:11:00.000-05:00

I can finally post pictures of Kath's quilt top. She has been so wonderful and patient while I babysat it for her. This first picture is the 'before' picture; that is, before I started sewing the outer border that you see. This is an image from my EQ6.

Here is what the quilt top looks like now that I got it sewn together and mailed off to Kathleen.

If I Were 'Desserted' on an Island...

2008-10-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

I needed to clean just a little before posting this picture of my island in my kitchen. I find it just amazingly funny that almost every person who walks into this kitchen says: "Wow! I wish I had an island this big, I would spend so much time in the kitchen cooking!" Grass is always greener, I tell you. When I first saw this island I thought "Now THAT is a Texas-sized area to cut fabric!" (with enough extra room on the side for a chocolate dish and coffee cup.) It really bothers me that I am forced to defile that area every evening with food and kitchen-type stuff. Now, just so you know, I am not a bad cook; but Oreos need some love too...and you can't make those in this room. As soon as I get the dishes done, the Olfa mat and cookies are going down.

Quick, Cheap, and Easy...Just the Way I Like 'Em

2008-10-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

My son gives me the hours of 9pm to 2am to work on quilting; and that is being generous. Well after the hours of potty training, booger-picking, and going into wild happy or hostile hysterics, I have visitation rights with my sewing machine. Works for me, but my husband tends to miss me every once and awhile. In fact by the time that I go to bed some mornings, he awakes from a groggy stupor and mistakenly believes that I am a burglar where I end up in a head-lock begging for my life. No, not really...but I am ready for such an occasion. In order for me to be able to get to that appointment with my sewing room, I have to make sure that the hours up to bedtime go very smoothly. This means not making rack of lamb for dinner. I have decided to share quilting-friendly recipes on occasion so that you beautiful and well-deserving ladies (or men) can get a UFO done and not starve your family in the process. The ones I provide will not have too many steps, too many ingredients, or cost too much money. Here is one of my newer ones:

Baked Pork Chops and Rice

1 C. regular rice, uncooked
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of mushrooms (do not drain)
1 soup can of milk
4 -6 pork chops

Combine first five ingredients in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Brown pork chops in a fry pan. Put the browned pork chops in the casserole dish with the rice mixture, being sure to coat the chops. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, stirring every once in a while.

O.K. there you go. Now you can quilt tonight.

Ten-Four Good Buddy...

2008-10-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back. It is my birthday today. I have already had 3 people ask me if I feel any older. But I really don't. Yesterday morning I felt 10 years older than I do today and let me tell you why...I got out of bed, made coffee, and right before my husband walks out the door, he says "Hey, we have ants in our bedroom closet crawling all over my dirty clothes; well, gotta go. Bye." What the Hell!? Don't just leave me here in my pajamas with nothing but a spray can to defend myself from what I find out later as being mom-eating fire ants. Lets not forget a 2-year old in tow that wants to play with the new little friends that he has found surrounded by a toxic poison that will make you forget your own name. I don't know how I made it past morning without running out of my house screaming in tongues. First, I had to make my son take a shower with me so that he wouldn't run into the closet and roll around in the mess like a dog that just found a dead fish. Then, I had the crawlies so bad after doing my husbands laundry that I just had to leave the house. I took Connor to a playground close to our neighborhood thinking that that would be relaxing. I even grabbed an applique' block that I was working on, thinking that I would have this blissful moment of happy stitching, watching my wonderful child sliding and swinging, listening to the beautiful birds chirping and the lulfull, cool breeze whispering through the live oak tree branches shading the play yard below. Well, after another mommy's spawn of the devil shoved my son in the face and pushed him down off of a elevated landing, causing him to have bleeding extremities, I just knew that my day was only getting worse. I provided the pain-easing kisses to scraped knees and without spitting on the bad kid, asked him where his 'irresponsible' parent was. The little brat told me to shut my face. O.K. lets just say that child protective services didn't have to show up, and I did not end up in jail...but jail might have been worth it. As soon as I got Connor cleaned up, my period showed up, at the playground, ruining my clothing and my hopes of maybe being pregnant. Connor was quite pissed off at the fact that we were leaving very abruptly, but I promised him that I would bring him back right away. Ran home. Changed. Decided that I deserved to stop by Starbucks on the way back to the playground. The coffee was perfect (which made me really wonder) until I got out to my car and a police officer was pointing out my 2 month expired registration sticker. (my wonderful loving husband always renews them right away and waits until I get a ticket before finally sticking the actual valid sticker on the vehicle) I did not get a ticket. Thank God. The rest of my day went very similar to the first half in entertainment value, but maybe I will save all of that for another post! Just so you all leave me with a sense of happiness, today has been wonderful! My glass is actually half-full. My toilet bowl is half-full...actually it overfloweth...gotta go.

Wipe That Dirty Look Off Your Face

2008-09-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

My ABC's

2008-09-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

I have seen this before. I recently saw it on someone else's blog and decided to go ahead and do it too. I promise that I wont send it on to others to do, but I think that it would be fun to learn a thing or two about you all. Here goes:

A. Attached or Single? attached
B. Best Friend? My sister, JoAnn
C. Cake or pie? You mean which one would I eat first? Pie (Pumpkin)
D. Day of choice? Mother's Day
E. Essential item? Carmex or Cherry Chap-stick
F. Favorite color? Yellow...and believe it or not I am not a fan of purple! Shocking!
G. Gummy bears or worms? Gummy bears...read a prior post.
H. Hometown? I don't really have one, but if I had to pick...Sherwood, North Dakota
I. Favorite indulgence? Retreats at The Compass Centre (http://www.compasscentre.com/)
J. January or July? July in North Dakota and January in Texas!
K. Kids? Well, O.K., but two more and that's it. (one daughter-12yrs, one son-2yrs)
L. Life isn’t complete without? my friends, my family, my husband, and coffee.
M. Marriage date? No, my husband won't let me.
N. Number of brothers and sisters? Three brothers and Three sisters (I am the oldest)
O. Oranges or Apples? Apples, unless we are talking about those chocolate orange balls that you whack against the table then cram into your mouth like a squirrel on a 10 day starve.
P. Phobias? Cockroaches, June bugs, pretty much anything that could land on my face or head and make me do the icky-bug-seizure. give me a snake or rat any day.
Q. Quotes? "Blessings are like buttons; people seldom notice them until one is missing." This is how I got the name for my blog.
R. Reasons to smile? "Were going out for dinner, Honey"
S. Season of choice? I know this is supposed to be a time of the year but I really have to say Cinnamon.
T. Tag 5 people: I never tag any one...I never like to pressure anyone except my husband.
U. Unknown fact about me? I have a very strong American Indian background. (Oglala, Sioux) My Grandmothers cousin is Russell Means., you would never guess that because I am also half German-Russian so I am as white as fence primer.
V. Vegetable? I would prefer to be called 'intelligence-challenged' what? oh...Sweet Potatoes.
W. Worst habit? Biting my nails...I know, I know...Gross. But I don't smoke. and I don't drink more than a bottle of wine a day.
X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Lets hope that I don't have to choose.
Y. Your favorite food? French, Italian, German, Moroccan, and Chocolate.
Z. Zodiac sign? an out-of-balance Libra...I am a walking oxymoron.

Wow, that was more fun than I have had in two whole hours! Now, I better start learning a thing or two about a few of you out there since I had to lay my heart and soul out there for everyone. Just remember...there is info. and there is TM info.

Nervous Twitch

2008-09-21T11:30:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to show pictures of the project that I am working on, but since it is a surprise, I just cannot. I will, however; share with you a picture of one of the blocks that I have made for a quilt that I plan on finishing by my 98th birthday. They say a person who fails to plan, plans to fail, so I had to set an official date. Maybe I should have a countdown bar located in my blog. I will be 35 in October so I really should get working on it. This is one block from the Nearly Insane quilt from the book with the same title by Liz Lois. It measures 6" finished. Yes. That means that the tiny blue diamond that you see in the center is 1/2 inch square and the little triangles surrounding it are smaller. I have decided (in my fragile mentality) that it should be done completely by hand. The block you see above was completely hand pieced. I figured that since I was able to complete this one, I should tackle the hardest one in the book next...it has 229 pieces. I have the hardest part of it done already. Now you all know why I need so much coffee and chocolate...and therapy.

Project of the Day

2008-09-19T23:37:00.000-05:00

I am almost finished with the border that I have made for Kathleen, who is one of the famous and talented Wackies. The attached picture is only what the quilt looked like before I got it. Oh, and it is a EQ6 picture. I have added my border to the outside of this one. It is so nice to just throw a quilt into a computer. I have saved so much time and fabric by trying different designs and colors on my virtual design wall. My seam ripper gets some cool-down time too. The border should be completely done tonight (early tomorrow morning) or tomorrow evening. All I have to do is drink a pot of coffee...after cutting the coping border, and sew. Unfortunately, when I finish this one I will not be able to share pictures until Kathleen has seen it, since she reads my blog every now and again. Or I could really mess with her and put one of my EQ6 pictures up showing a border with clown or leprechaun skipping around with candy and pots of gold. O.K. Everybody reading this, don't tell her. I'm gonna do it.

buttoncounter

2008-09-19T02:51:00.001-05:00

Baby Steps

2008-09-19T00:45:00.000-05:00

If organization is the key, the lock must be around here some place. I usually go through my desk about once a month to clean it off. My brain cannot work with clutter so I need to do this or go insane. If it goes a few months without a good methodical shuffling, I will out of nowhere grab an armful and bring it to the good ol' grill outside and make up a bunch of Smores over the soon to be missing phone numbers of gynecologists and expired coupons to that awesome restaurant that I beg my husband to at least drive by every once and awhile. I have one of those desks that is considered the kitchen desk, but is in the hall by the garage. It is built in, so the outlets are above the desktop on the wall instead of below. The result is a spaghetti pile of cords from all kinds of electronics sitting on my work surface. It is a feng shui disaster. I have decided to make a shelf to cover the mess and to give me my area back so that I can keep my phone, calendar, pen cup and sanity on it...as soon as I find them. I thought about buying one of those cute paperweights, but really it would have to be a brick/bungee-cord contraption to do the trick and I just haven't found one of those in the right color. So, until I get this shelf done, I have promised myself to go through 30 minutes of papers and files a day until I catch up to that utopia that everyone tells me about. Does anyone out there know how to make Smores in that one room that the dishwasher is in? I think I may need that recipe soon.

Ta-Da

2008-09-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling that Carol woke in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat from a nightmare. She was probably dreaming that I had decided to keep her round robin quilt for myself. In her dream, I am sleeping like an angel under the most beautiful compass in the county. It is probably hand quilted with intricate feathers and miniature cross-hatching. Maybe even has a label on the back that says "To my wonderful friend, Monica. Love, Carol."

Wow, I guess that would be a nightmare for her. Carol, if you are out there. I promise that I didn't put a stitch of binding on it. It is safe and sound, awaiting its next (freaking awesome, beautiful, monica-made) border. I have my EQ6 program holding on to the border so it will have to be a surprise to all of you when I get that one done. Selling our old house kind of put my quilting, blogging, and potty-training on hold. But now...I am climbing out of the wood works again. Trust me. I have a lot to talk about.

Potty Mouth

2008-06-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

I am quite sure that I am the only person on the planet that can make my phone ring by sitting down on the toilet. Every time. I just wish that I had talents that could make me rich and famous, but a butt that gets people to call you is not exactly the kind of material that gets you on 'Entertainment Tonight'.
I have a two-year-old. The only way I can 'hide' from him is to read a short chapter in a well locked (and ventilated) realm for 5 minutes. Mommies everywhere know exactly what I am talking about. These 5 minutes are so precious, that if we do not get them, we start talking to ourselves while ironing those used dryer sheets that you are supposed to throw away after each use.
There actually was a time when I would try to finish my 'chapter' so that I could beat the phones 4th ring before the answering machine picked up. What the hell for? It would only be my husband calling me from work saying he is bored and what am I doing...let me tell ya gals, it is a lot better to let the answering machine pick up. Your husband will think that you are out having the time of your life without him, possibly making him jealous as hell, when really you are just trying to see if Elizabeth ever gets Mr. Darcy to pop the question.
My son has a very similar talent. He saves his most potent #2 packages for the times that we are eating out at a restaurant. Beautiful child. His best ones are delivered at places with no changing stations. I would like to trade this one in for a model who simply throws a tantrum in a store when they don't get the kind of candy they demand. I can deal with that breed without a problem. You simply tell them that Santa and the Easter Bunny are waiting for them at the house and we have to hurry because they are not going to wait for long. When you get home to find the absence of their favorite idols you simply explain that if they didn't waste so much time throwing hissy-fit about the pop rocks you'd would be sitting in fisher-price bliss right now.
I think that I am going to install a phone in the bathroom. It will help lower the number of calls from tele-marketers. And besides, Oprah might be trying to get ahold of me.

Goodbye, baby Connor

2008-05-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

I am losing my baby. Connor turns 2 today, so technically he is not a baby anymore. He is a male though, so he will, in, fact always be a baby, just a bigger one. Yesterday was his last day as a real baby. I held him so hard that I think his eyes look bigger today. Twice he had out of the blue kissed me and said 'yuvoo, mama' and gave me a hug with a pat on the back. It is kinda funny to feel him pat me on the back. His little arms try to reach way around to do it. I wish that I could just record everything like this. While Connor and I had a mommy/son lunch today, I got to talking with an older lady at the next table. She was quite taken with Connor and asked how old he is. I told her that it was his 2nd birthday today. She said that she never had children and loves being around them when they are young. She said that it must get very tiring though. I told her that having children is like having a swimming pool in your backyard. They cost a lot of money to acquire and maintain. They are very hard to keep clean. They leak when you least expect it. In short, they require a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But the times that you have fun with them after utter exhaustion, the memories that you collect from all of the celebrations, or being able to enjoy them as a family or all alone...make all of the hard work worth it. I recommend that everyone get a pool for their backyard...even if it is just a kiddie pool.

another UFO wanna be

2008-05-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of a quilt top that I wanted to share with you all. It was made by Carol Hassel, a friend of mine. I thought it might be a great way to get rid of scraps, (or you could still send them to me!) or it would make a great block exchange idea. This one was a block exchange done in batiks with white bars on each side of the rectangular 4-patch to make it square. I love how it has the illusion of being rectangles. If the white parts were brown or black and the patches green and brown, it would look like an aerial picture of the crops in North Dakota. I might even have some wheat prints and tree prints...sunflower prints, some house prints. I would love to make one, and I will, if I ever get the 32 other quilts done...

Honorable Mention

2008-05-08T00:37:00.000-05:00

O.K. I am going to be vague about this story to protect the guilty. I am a member of a certain non-profit organization. One of our tasks is to make these 'items' for a particular group of people in need. The other day, when I was collecting these 'items' from other members, I had a lady tell me that she thought that we should give out pins to those people (like her) that made so many of these items. She said that she was making one of these items a month. Lets pretend that these items are shirts to make the story a little more interesting. Now, I am going to list a few reasons why I think this pin idea is stupid. One; on a financial standpoint, these pins are going to have to be ordered and paid for. I know that I am not going to waste any of my time ordering pins when I could spend it cutting fabric for these 'shirts'...or blogging. The budgeted amount that we have to spend on fabric and other costs for these 'shirts' is somewhat small, as can be expected from a non-profit organization, so taking half of that budget amount to pay for an order of pins is not exactly bright. Second, some of the members of this organization get together as a group to make these shirts so that more can be made in a smaller period of time. Should each member of the group get a pin? How about those people who pay for the fabric for these shirts out of their own pocket and donate it, but never are able to make a shirt. Also, there are members who cannot sew a shirt but can cut out fabric for the shirts all day long and are able to do 10 in a month, where another member cannot cut, but can sew 10 shirts in a month...according to this lady, only those people who cut the fabric for the shirt and sew it completely should get pins (like her). Wow, it is my opinion that if people are willing and wanting to help in any way that they possibly can, that help should be taken very gratefully, no matter how large or small. Last, (and definitely not least) why on earth do people need a damn sign on their forehead that says: Look at me, I did more nice things than you did. Why are there so many people who want some kind of credit or attention for a good deed that they have done. It just pisses me off to no end. If I do something for someone, it is because that person needs or deserves it. I don't need any medal or pat on the back. There is this thing that happens in your heart when you do something for someone else, and it feels good. That good feeling is all that I need. There. I feel better.

Nice set of pillows ya got there.

2008-05-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

Two blog posts today! This one is about a project that I just finished. My mother in law was given a chair cushion by her grandmother when she was a little girl that was made for her little wicker rocking chair that is now in our sons room. The cushion was adorable, with an appliqued kitten in a basket done with a yellow 30's print fabric. The problem was that it was extremely stained and had mildew spots on the muslin background. After taking the cushion apart, I carefully washed the cushion cover in OXY. This got the main stains out and cleaned it up very nice. Then I meticulously took each piece apart and found that the muslin was appliqued to the yellow background (so there was extra fabric back there to use on another project!) I cut new muslin and re-appliqued the kitten and basket to it, making sure to match every stitch hole so that it would not be obvious that it had been taken apart. I then appliqued the muslin kitten/basket block back on to the yellow print exactly as it had been, except that I cut out the back of the yellow fabric to omit thickness. With this 'extra' fabric, I made another block using the 'Pride of Ohio' block pattern since that is where my mother-in-law lived as a little girl. I put batting and muslin to the back of each block and hand quilted them both. I added a matching border to the blocks then sewed a back to them that buttons so that the pillow cases can now be removed for washing. Please enjoy the following pictures as an idea to use if you have something special that you want to save but do not have enough for a quilt. P.S. I found after research that the kitten pattern (called "Kitten Basket")came from both Alice Brooks (#6218) and Laura Wheeler (#604) of Old Chelsea Station Needlecraft Service in the 1940's. It was a pattern that you would get by mail order from an ad in a newspaper.

Quilters sleep when they die.

2008-05-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I did not get much sleep last night. I could not fall asleep even though I was extremely tired. 3AM and I finally did, just to wake up again to Connor having one of his fits. Then I went walking this morning with my neighbor. (I have been very naughty and have missed a couple of days, or I would have said forget it). We are now into the afternoon and I still have not had a single cup of Joe. And I need one of those like Britney needs underwear. You all probably wonder what kinds of crazy things quilters do at 1 and 2 in the morning; and I could probably tell you, but I would be breaking a very sacred oath that quilters take on the 3rd night of their first retreat right after the chocolate baptism. We just cannot tell you. Even our husbands do not know. If any of them wake in the middle of the night to check on us, well, we just say something crazy like "I thought I heard someone outside getting into your truck and now I cannot sleep." At this point he could care less that we or fabric even exist and is outside in his boxers checking the alarm which may or may not go off. This is called 'The Diversion'. Another thing that we may do is pretend we were sleep-walking. (This will probably only work once and not if we are found pushing fabric into a machine at the time.) If your quilter happens to come home after running errands and has with her a chocolate item, a fabric item, and a new doo-hickey that she got at the quilt store (on sale...40% off!); it is one hint that there is something going down in quiltville tonight. And guys...if she comes to bed at 4 in the morning crying with a seam ripper in her hand, she is not trying to scare the life out of you. She just needs a hug. Pry the thing out of her icy grip first though.